Review of NOVA Pro Wrestling’s American Slang, July 1, 2016

So as I was performing in my second (third?) job as a hockey ref at the JCC of Northern Virginia on Wednesday (June 29), the security guard told me that there was going to be a big deal on Friday. Turns out there was a wrestling event that day. For geography’s sake, the JCCNV is within 2 miles of my house! Independent wrestling within 2 miles? Hell, I’d WALK to that!

Which I did. Because I don’t own a car.

But if I’m going to take in the joy of indy wrestling, all of you are going to enjoy it with me. So, after taking a couple days to celebrate the holiday with family, I’ve snuck out to type up the following. Now, it won’t be anywhere NEAR as detailed as my usual notes because I don’t have a computer in front of me at the event. However, I hope you enjoy it anyway.

From Fairfax, VA, NOVA Pro Wrestling presents American Slang!

Now, NOVA Pro is less than a year old, but started up because frankly there’s nothing else going on in terms of indy wrestling here in the Northern Virginia area. During their short time, they’ve managed to attract some pretty good names, such as local wrestler Sonjay Dutt and Carolinas champion Cedric Alexander. Dutt wasn’t here tonight, but we got Donovan Dijak, Veda Scott, Kimber Lee, and Tim Donst to join Alexander to bring the star power. And the crowd was pumped – about 220 or so packed the gym, the largest crowd in NOVA Pro history.

Opening match, Four-Way: actually, wait, scratch that. Here comes John Kerman, whose gimmick is that he’s an MMA-trained guy. He’s been having trouble getting his hands on “Champion of the 1%” Logan Easton LaRue, and he doesn’t want to wait until later in the show to have their grudge match. He wants it now, and not leaving the ring until he gets it! LaRue isn’t far behind, as he charges the ring and we are ready to go!

Opening match: John Kerman vs. Logan Easton LaRue. LaRue sends him to the floor early as the two spend a lot of time fighting on the outside. Kerman uses a rope-assisted triangle choke to take control, but LaRue takes over after some cheating and works on top for most of the match. Unfortunate moment – if I get a DVD of this, I’ll send the footage to Botchamania, trust me – when Kerman goes to begin his comeback. He signals this by pulling off his kickpad… or at least, he tries to, but he has trouble standing on one leg and pulling it off, so the ref has to help him. Great reversal sequence near the end as LaRue nearly steals it by reversing a reversal of a double underhook into an RKO. Soon after, he cradles Kerman and holds the tights in full view of the camera to get the pin at 8:35 (officially – NOVA Pro announced all times). *3/4 This is not over, I can assure you.

Four-Way: Reed Bentley vs. Alexander James vs. Frankie Pickard vs. Ken Dixon. The big name in this match is Pickard, who has CZW experience. James is working an arrogant young lion gimmick, and has a trainee carry his robe off on a purple pillow, so you know he’s a snob. Pickard gets the first highspot of the night, diving over the ropes onto all three men. Standard four-way with two guys fighting and two guys resting. Pickard appears to be the only face in this. Great bit near the end as Pickard has Bentley stuck in the guillotine position, head over the apron. Dixon charges Bentley but gets powerslammed as Bentley rolls on the ropes to slam him to the apron. As the ref checks on the carnage on the outside, James low-blows Pickard and gets a single-arm suplex for the pin at 10:36. *1/2 The inevitable happens after the match as Logan Easton LaRue applauds James and the two leave together.

Veda Scott vs. Kimber Lee. Lee, of course, is a former CHIKARA Pro Champion, while Veda’s here to justify being in Alexander’s corner later in the evening. Before the match, Veda insists that if she wins, she gets Kimber’s baseball cap. Kimber agrees, and the ref holds it up like it’s a title. Code of Honor followed. Good but unmemorable match followed. Lots of pinfall reversal bits early on, and Veda argued with the ref quite a bit. Nothing high impact, either. Lee winds up getting the win at 12:47 with a powerbomb. Post-match, Veda runs around looking for the hat, but decides to settle for stealing one from a plant in the front row. **1/4

Sean Studd is out for an interview next. Yes, he’s the youngest son of WWE Hall of Famer “Big John” Studd. He apologizes for being unable to wrestle Brandon Day as promised tonight, as he suffered a sprained rotator cuff during training. The doctors promise he’ll be ready to go for One Crazy Summer, the follow-up event on August 12^th here at the JCCNV. Logan Easton LaRue and Alexander James return at this point to talk about how rich people don’t let others down, and the wrestling ring is no place for cripples. Studd says he may have a bad arm, but the other arm has a few chokeslams in it if they’d like to test that crippled thing. LaRue and James enter the ring… then promptly exit it again, thinking better of going against a 6’6 son of a giant. Maybe next time.

Bobby Shields vs. Tim Donst. Donst, of course, is a former CHIKARA Young Lions Cup winner and an amateur wrestling standout. Shields, meanwhile, has done a few matches for GFW in the area and at the last show came up short against Cedric Alexander for the PWI Ultra J Championship (NOVA Pro is part of a Carolinas wrestling alliance, and this is their Jr. Heavyweight crown). So with two faces going at it, Code of Honor is absolutely followed. Donst does his thing early on, turning a lockup into a fireman’s carry before popping up and shouting “Wrestling!” to the crowd. He does it a second time before Shields does one of his own – with the same taunt. After some more graps, Donst gets a 60-count stalling vertical suplex on Shields. Shields is actually able to match Donst move for move for most of the match, even getting a near fall off the top rope. Lots of grappling, as you’d expect, ending with Donst pulling a full nelson crossface – which Wikipedia says he calls From Dusk Til Donst – onto Shields for the tapout at 15:47. **3/4 Post-match, Donst offers a handshake, but the frustrated Shields spits on the ground and storms off. Donst shrugs and plays to the crowd, but Brandon Day charges from behind the announcers’ position and into the ring to smash Donst with his chain. DDT on the chain follows, but Donst leaves under his own power.

Arik Royal vs. Donovan Dijak. Royal is a big deal in the Carolina indies and is unbeaten under the NOVA Pro banner. Dijak is a Ring of Honor star who won the 2015 Top Prospect Tournament. Code of Honor followed, but Dijak refuses a clean break early and Royal slaps him. Dijak: “Okay, I’ll give you a warning. Never do that again.” So next time, Royal does it again and Dijak gets mad. This is a great power match. Lots of slams by Royal, and of course Dijak does his power stuff. Royal with a beautiful top-rope dive to fire up the crowd and get a very close near-fall. Royal able to avoid Feast Your Eyes (a torture rack into a GTS) several times in a row, but he tries for a Pounce and gets intercepted and mauled. After a third try at Feast Your Eyes, Dijak just smashes Royal against the ropes and tries for a discus lariat – only to get Pounced HARD (he does a full flip sell) for the pin at 17:59. Match of the night here. ***1/4 Dijak looks like he wants to keep going after the match, but offers a handshake. However, on the urging of the crowd, the two hug it out.

Intermission here, as we find out what had been announced earlier: the next show will feature Shane “Killshot” Strickland! But wait, there’s more – the newest DC area free agent will be there: Moose! Oh, you KNOW I’ll be there!

Tim Early vs. Brandon Day. Early is a no-name from Richmond who is replacing the injured Sean Studd. Day dominates this one, but Early gets in a missile dropkick at one point to rock him. But this match is all Day, ending with a running forearm smash for the pin at 6:26. 3/4* Day goes for the Chain DDT on Early, but Tim Donst returns to put a stop to that and get even before the Usual Idiots try to separate them. (I was able to start a Let Them Fight chant here.) Donst escapes two or three times, then heads out to get a chair but isn’t allowed back into the ring as Day swings his chain at Donst. Donst grabs the house mic and lays down the challenge for a no-DQ match at One Crazy Summer, which Day readily accepts.

Brandon “Money” Green & Rayo vs. Cutie and the Beast. Money Green is doing the Donald Trump ripoff “Make Wrestling Great Again” and is a rich man. Rayo is his protege, a Peruvian soccer player turned wrestler who feels less than comfortable with Green’s heelish ways. Cutie and the Beast are, respectively, “Innocent” Isaiah Santero and Beau Crockett. Imagine Dalton Castle teaming with Rhyno and you’re starting to get the idea. The team is the biggest homegrown deal in NOVA Pro and are crazy over. Anyway, before the match, Green says he knows why the team is popular – it’s because Crockett’s a great, no-frills athlete and Santero’s just there as a hanger-on. Well, Green’s going to Make Wrestling Great Again, which means a no-frills, pounding approach with none of this flashy diving and superkicking stuff. So he’s offering money to Crockett to break up the team. Santero declares that’ll NEVER happen because they are friends for life. Crockett looks at the envelope and says if he were to sell out, it sure as heck wouldn’t be for that LITTLE. Green, having been rebuffed, says that he can buy anyone and has a Plan B – and indeed, plan B is the rough ugly tag team of Dan O’Hare and Skunk, who attack Cutie and the Beast from behind (much to Rayo’s objection, although Green assures him this is how you win in wrestling). Aaron Biggs and Mecha Mercenary (a big fat dude and a masked big fat dude) run in to even the sides, and before you can say Teddy Long, the match is changed:

Brandon Green & Rayo & Dan O’Hare & Skunk vs. Cutie and the Beast & Aaron Biggs & Mecha Mercenary. HOLLA! So the big boys corner Green in the early going and give him a set of avalanches in the corner, including a great bit where all four men (bear in mind, Isaiah’s really small compared to the other three) step on Green’s back in succession. Eventually, Isaiah gets caught in the heel corner, and since he’s the only guy on his team who weighs under 250, he gets to be face in peril. Rayo objects to a lot of the double-teaming, but Green keeps re-assuring him it’s okay. Rayo gets in over a prone Isaiah and prepares for his signature Gol Drop, performing stepovers before running the ropes… and Green blind tags in, having seen enough of that nonsense. Anyway, he makes a mistake, and it’s hot tag Crockett, who bulldozes Rayo and takes control. Skunk and O’Hare prevent the pin and everybody’s involved as the Bonzo Gonzo segment of the match happens. During the chaos, Green tosses Rayo a wooden stepstool – Green’s signature weapon – but Rayo stares at it, unsure what to do next. The hesitation costs him, as Mecha and Biggs sandwich him and Crockett throws Isaiah onto Rayo for the pin at 11:19. Fun match. *3/4 After the match, Green throws a tantrum in the ring and blames Rayo for not holding up his end of the bargain. This routine’s been going on for a few shows now, but finally Rayo’s had enough and dropkicks Green’s head off before walking away. Poor Green is gonna have to start over.

Main event, PWI Ultra J Championship: Cedric Alexander vs. Chet Sterling. Sterling is the unbeaten #1 contender for the title. Alexander has Veda Scott with him. Alexander attacks Sterling ring intros and streamer tosses, and we’re underway early. Alexander plays a great heel, jawing with the crowd and telling them to cheer for Chet as he beats him up. He goes for the Three Amigos, but stalls too long before the third one and has it reversed. Sterling even gets a suplex on the floor to tease a double countout. Alexander’s arrogance nearly costs him on a few occasions, including one where Sterling gets a huge flurry ending with the Blockbuster off the top. It gets two before Veda pulls the ref out – which is a hilarious visual since the referee is at least twice Veda’s size. Sterling gets a rolling reverse cradle, but when Alexander kicks out, Sterling is sent into the ropes and right into a belt shot from Veda. Lumbar Check follows, but Sterling gets his foot on the ropes at two. False finish, though, as Alexander gets a second Lumbar Check for the pin to retain at 13:45. Cedric looked his usual good, but Sterling was game in keeping up. ***

Logan Easton LaRue and Alexander James enter the ring now, with Lerman asking for the next title shot. Alexander just rolls his eyes and leaves, allowing John Kerman and Sterling to attack the preppie boys. This brings out Dan O’Hare and Skunk, then brings out Aaron Biggs and Mecha Mercenary for an all-over-the-place brawl as Alexander just watches by the entrance. Brandon Day then comes out and, instead of fighting anyone else, screams for Tim Donst. Well, Donst isn’t far behind, and he clears the ring before hitting a middle rope dive onto the pile. At this point, Alexander isn’t about to be one-upped, and he does a somersault senton onto almost everybody. Meanwhile, Kerman has grabbed the house mic and he wants to end it at One Crazy Summer, so he says he wants a six man: Kerman, Studd, and one other against LaRue, James, and one other. After they agree, Kerman says he knows the third man for his team: Sonjay Dutt! And on that announcement, the show ends.

After the show, I wander around to thank everyone for their contributions to tonight’s event. I make sure to tell Dijak that I think Royal belongs in Ring of Honor – not that he’d listen to a fan, mind you, but I wanted to try to get Royal on their radar. I also picked up the email address of Brandon Day. I’ve sent him some questions, and I hope to have the email interview posted when he returns. I did help move the chairs and tables back, as I know the guy who runs the JCC gym and talked to him about the show. I got a quick word with Tim Donst, who said it was probably the best show he’s seen NOVA Pro put on. Finally, I found Cedric Alexander, and he told me he’ll be back on August 12^th as well. I’ll bring a tape recorder and attempt to do a live interview with him after that show.

STATS:

MATCH TIME: 97:34 over eight matches

SUPERKICK COUNTER: 4

BEST MATCH: Royal/Dijak

WORST MATCH: Day/Early

MVP OF THE NIGHT: Tim Donst

BEST CHANT: “You’re Both Awesome”, to Donst/Shields post-match

FINAL RATING: 7. Yes, this is high for a show you’ll never see in a promotion you’ve never heard of, but I cannot remember having this much fun attending a live wrestling event since Backlash 2000. They made a fan out of me, and I’ll be back in six weeks for the follow-up, which already has Donst/Day in a no-DQ match and Dutt/Studd/Kerman v. LaRue/James/TBA. And yes, I’ll probably be reporting on that, too, if you are interested.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!