WWN Style Battle – Season One, Episode One

Style Battle is a new series (or promotion I guess if you want to call it that) put on by WWN Live/Flo Slam. It will feature eight shows, all tournaments, with the eight winners of those tournaments put in a tournament at the end to declare the Style Battle Champion.

January 7, 2017

From the Ivy Astoria Event Center in Tampa, FL. Just a note that the venue is outdoors and it was 48 degrees out when the show started.

Timothy Barr is your host. Trevin Adams and Mister Saint Laurent are on commentary.

1st Round Match: Darby Allin vs. Dave Crist

Crist is a veteran who is best known from being in CZW and AAW. He also teams with his brother Jake as OI4K. They fight over a lockup to start. Allin comes back with a springboard armdrag and follows with a dropkick. He then dives outside with a coffin drop as the crowd chants his name. Back inside, Allin gets a nearfall with a springboard headbutt but gets caught with a cutter after trying another jumping attack. Crist chops Allin then gets two with a basement dropkick. Crist slowly attacks Allin but gets caught with a sunset flip for two. Allin tries a springboard attack but Crist slams him down as that gets two. Crist starts roughing up Allin now as he targets the back. Allin catches him with an armdrag into the corner then they trade cradles before working an awkward reversal spot. Allin gets two with a springboard crossbody then heads up top but Crist cuts him off and uses a cutter to take him down as that gets two. Crist follows with a buckle bomb before a DDT variation puts him away (7:04) **1/4. After the match, Crist tells Trevin Adams that he is going to win the tournament before putting over Allin as someone special and would welcome a rematch at anytime.

Thoughts: This match was okay but these two struggled to get on the same page. Allin remains in the underdog role here but got in more offense than he usually does when wrestling in EVOLVE. Crist is a solid hand but really did not show more than being that in this match.

1st Round Match: Dezmond Xavier vs. Sammy Guevara

Both guys are young. Guevara is just 23 years old and based out of Texas while Xavier’s home is in CZW. Guevara grounds Xavier then kneels on his back and flexes. Guevara plays to the crowd a bit more then both men fight over an arm wringer. Xavier flexes his bicep after a shoulder block then kips-up to hit a hurricarana. Xavier then flips out of a headscissors then Guevara jumps on Xavier’s back to work a sleeper after a reversal sequence. They trade headscissors and end in a stalemate then Guevara hits a dropkick after another reversal sequence. Xavier gets two with a dropkick following an Irish whip sequence then starts slapping Guevara in the face. Guevara tries for the squat drop but Xavier escapes then he manages to catch Xavier coming off the middle rope to finally hit the move as that gets two. Rolling moonsault gets two. Delayed vertical suplex gets two then Guevara uses a chinlock. Guevera then tries to put Xavier away but fails and gets frustrated as that allows Xavier time to fight back. Standing corkscrew moonsault gets two for Xavier then they trade go-behinds until Guevara hits a back suplex slam for two. Guevara is bleeding from the mouth then hits a standing 450 leg drop for two. Xavier catches Guevara and hits a Northern lights suplex for two then heads up top but Guevara leaps up top and hits a Spanish Fly before back up top where he hits the 630 splash as Xavier is able to break the pin by grabbing the rope. A “this is awesome” chant breaks out as Guevara goes back up and rolls through a 630 but Xavier hits him with a back suplex then puts him away with the Spiral Tap (13:14) **1/4. After the match, Xavier puts over Guevara as being special and asks the crowd to give him a round of applause. He then talks about knowing Crist and that he is in for a war tonight.

Thoughts: Both of these guys are athletic and seem to have potential. However, this was basically an exhibition and showcase of moves rather than a match. It lacked intensity and just not something that jives with a one night tournament show. I will say they showed some potential and that Guevara has a decent amount of charisma.

1st Round Match:AR Fox vs. Austin Theory

The story here is that Fox trained Theory. Both men go up to shake hands as Theory tries a cheap shot but Fox was ready as they once again strea each other down after a reversal sequence. Theory dropkicks Fox after an Irish whip sequence but gets caught with an enziguiri shortly after that. Fox follows that up with an elaborate wheelbarrow bulldog before hitting Theory with an inverted springboard somersault senton to the floor. Back inside, Theory plants Fox with a press chokeslam. Theory chokes out Fox then acts cocky as he stands over him but Fox rolls him up for two. Theory clotheslines Fox as he is back in control. He starts mouthing off but Fox fights back and hits Theory with a corner clothesline. Fox then hits a cannonball and follows with a swanton for a nearfall. Theory is able to hit a spinning powerbomb for two then Fox slips out of a fireman’s carry then hits a crucifix driver for two. Both men trade strikes on the apron until Theory hits a cross-legged fisherman’s buster. Ouch. Theory hits a springboard moonsault block then back inside gets a nearfall with a running shooting star press. Fox knocks Theory off of the top with a bell clap but ends up missing a 450 splash as both men are down. They trade strikes as both men are worn down then Fox takes Theory off of the top with a springboard flipping uranage until he puts him away with the Fox Catcher (14:30) ***. After the match, both men shake hands as Fox raises the hand of his former pupil. After the match, Fox puts over how great it is to be back in a WWN ring and says its the house that he built. Fox puts over how he was the first-ever Style Battle winner and tonight, will win it again.

Thoughts: Good match. A little too much trading moves at times but the story of the pupil trying to beat and outsmart his trainer was compelling. Fox is one of the smoothest high-flyers around and Theory is well put together and seems to be fine as a heel.

1st Round Match: Anthony Henry vs. Fred Yehi

These two struggle on the mat and that ends with Yehi trapping Henry in the ropes. They grapple some more then try to knock each other down but end in a stalemate. Yehi is one step ahead of Henry on the mat but Henry is able to reach the ropes then Yehi pushes his face as he gets more aggressive. He chops Henry down in the corner then works the neck. Yehi then stomps Henry’s hand but Henry lifts up the foot and kicks Yehi down. Henry starts chopping Yehi, who fights back. Henry responds with a roundhouse kick then an uppercut. Henry gets two with a knee drop but Yehi ducks underneath and pushes Henry down before hitting another stomp. Yehi gets two with a fisherman’s suplex then applies a body scissors. Henry catches Yehi on his shoulders and spin hims off onto the ropes as Yehi falls to the floor. Henry follows him out and starts kicking and chopping Yehi hard in the chest. Henry then gets in and mocks Yehi’s “You’re in big trouble” chant but the crowd didnt react to it much at all. Yehi beats the twenty count inside as Henry kicks him in the chest until Yehi catches his leg and stomps him down. Yehi then hits a shotgun dropkick before beating Henry down in the corner. Henry comes back with a super kick as both men are down. They get up and trade strikes until Yehi hits a release German suplex. Henry comes back and knocks Yehi down with a few forearm strikes then hits a brainbuster for two. Henry uses a figure-four neck lock in the middle of the ring but Yehi finally turns him over and escapes. They trade more strikes that increase with intensity as they continue until knocking each other down. They get up and trade more strikes then trade suplexes until knocking each other down again. Henry sends Yehi into the corner with a leg sweep before hitting a missile dropkick. He follows with a clothesline then ends up hitting a German suplex for a nearfall. Yehi breaks out of a Dragon suplex and hits a running dropkick for two as both men are down again. Yehi follows with a pair of German suplexes then hits a Dragon Screw and almost puts him away with a powerbomb. Yehi sends Henry into the corner with an Exploder then places him up top. Henry fights back and crotches Yehi before taking him off with a clothesline. Henry hits a powerbomb lungblower for two then puts on a crossface as we get the announcement that two minutes remain in the match. Henry hits a soccer kick for two and follows with another kick as he frantically tries to put Yehi away. Yehi escapes from a Cop Killa and hits an exploder then slaps on the Koji Clutch after hitting a fisherman’s bomb but Henry is able to stay alive as time runs out with this match ruled a draw as both men have been eliminated from the tournament (30:00) ***1/2. After the match, Henry tells us he came to Style Battle to win and that he needs “this as he wants another shot at Style Battle. He is then guaranteed another opportunity from Wade. Horrible promo skills from Henry. He does not come across as having any sort of conviction whatsoever.

Thoughts: This was a good match. I did like how it was built up but there was too much trading strikes just for the sake of doing so in the middle and it dragged the match down a bit. Henry is technically solid and has a lot of buzz among fans of the Southern Independent scene and I cannot figure out why as he is void of charisma, a terrible promo, and struggles to get crowds invested. He’s the streaming-aged version of Matt Stryker. Yehi was excellent here and played the heel as they smartly protected him with a draw as he is one-half of the EVOLVE Tag Team Champions and the FIP Champion. They also seem to want to elevate Henry within the WWN ranks and I expect to see more of him going forward. The finish also gives Fox a bye into the finals.

Semifinals Match: Dave Crist vs. Dezmond Xavier

Xavier rolls away from a charge then hits a reverse hurricarana. Xavier flies out with a pair of topes then takes Crist down with a plancha. They head back inside as Xavier stays in control until Crist drills him with a running spin kick that gets two. Crist gets two with a double stomp but Xavier fights back. Crist catches Xavier with a powerslam as Xavier lands in the ropes. The ref checks on Xavier, who is grabbing his leg, then Crist starts stomping away. Crist hits some chops in the corner and gets two with a running boot to the face. Crist roughs up Xavier some more but Xavier fights back and they kick each other down. Crist catches Xavier with an enziguiri in the corner then nearly puts him away with a meteora. Crist measures Xavier up then hits a charging double knee smash in the corner but Xavier reverses an Irish whip and kicks Crist after trapping him him in the ropes. Xavier heads up top but misses a senton then Crist puts him away with the Snowplow as Crist will face Fox in the finals (7:05) **1/4. Crist is asked about Fox getting a by but he first gives props to Xavier. Crist then declares 2017 as his year and vows to win the tournament.

Thoughts: Quicker match than I would have thought. It was fine for what it was and gives Crist a shot against Fox in the finals.

13 Man Fray

This match is basically a royal rumble but instead of tossing guys over the top rope you eliminate your opponent via pinfall, submission, or knockout. #1 is Chris Henry and #2 is Trevor Aeon and they trade strikes until #3 Rob Barnes enters the match and almost puts away Henry with a powerbomb. #4 is Jake Omen and he tosses Henry down and pins him for an elimination. Omen then takes Aeon down and eliminates him with a missile dropkick. #5 is Mitch Mitchell and he fires away on both remaining men. He eliminates Barnes with a corkscrew neckbreaker then stomps on Omen in the corner. #6 is Hunter Law as he catches Mitchell with a dropkick but Mitchell fights back. #7 is Wheeler Yuta and he takes Omen down with a headscissors as Mitchell covers for the pin. Yuta shows off his athleticism while beating on Mitchell then whips Law into the corner. #8 is Matt Palmer and he catches law with a spnebuster and kick to the face. He sends Yuta into the corner with a buckle bomb but Mitchell cuts him off. #9 is Dante Carbajero as he goes after Mitchell. Law is proud of himself after dodging a charge then Yuta puts him away with a package tombstone. #10 is Jason Kincaid and he uses his unique offense to take control of the match. #11 is Drew Bronson as off camera Palmer pins Carbajero with a rollup. Mitchell flies outside to take out Bronson & Kincaid then Yuta takes them all out with a plancha and Palmer hits another plancha after that. #12 is DJ Talamante but Bronson hits him with an unique DDT. Kincaid comes in and pins Bronson with a Low Down then goes after Talamante. #13 is Chris Silvio and he holds up a sign that reads his name. Mitchell puts Talamante in a cloverleaf and gets him to tap out but Kincaid immediately hits Mitchell with a stunner to put him away. Palmer puts Yuta away with a frog splash as we are down to just Palmer, Kincaid, and Silvio. Kincaid escapes from a double underhook then hits a Samoan Driver for the win. The bell rings for some reason as Silvio almost wins with a school boy. Silvio gets another nearfall with a flying forearm but gets cut off trying a dive to the floor then Kincaid heads up top with a double stomp and makes him submit with a hammerlock Dragon sleeper for the win (14:27) **1/2.

Thoughts: Despite the crowd behind dead for this, I thought the match was fine for what it was (filler before the Finals). Kincaid winning made sense as he is featured on EVOLVE while the others here work for much smaller promotions. Omen and Mitchell stood out the most for me here.

Finals: Dave Crist vs. AR Fox

Crist dumps Fox then flies out with a somersault plancha as both men land on the chairs in the front row. Fox fights back then draps Crist ove rthe apron and hits a top rope leg drop. Back inside, Fox gets two with a swanton then stomps away. Fox hits a slingshot leg drop for two then starts kicking Crist in the back. Fox knees Crist in the jaw and beats him in the corner before hitting a coast-to-coast dropkick. Crist crawls onto the apron where Fox knocks him down. Fox gets two off of a neckbreaker as he stays on the attack. Crist finally makes a comeback and hits a neckbreaker for two. Crist puts Fox in a tree-of-woe and hits a coast-to-coast dropkick himself for a nearfall. Standing moonsault gets two. Crist runs into a codebreaker-type that almost puts him away. Fox gathers himself in the corner then climbs up top where Crist cuts him off and hits a superplex as both men are down. Crist cuts off Fox on the top rope after a reversal sequence and follows with a hanging pop-up cutter for two. They kick out of each other’s finishers then Fox fails to put Crist away after a 450 splash. Crist then catches Fox with a kick to the face and runs up the ropes and hits Fox with a cutter for the win (13:21) ***1/4. After the match, the other competitors come out and congratulate Crist.

Thoughts: Good match but a bit underwhelming for a tournament final. Fox toned down the unnecessary high-flying here too. I thought they should have done a better job at playing up the fact Crist had to overcome the fact that Fox had a bye heading into the finals.

Final Thoughts: I felt this was a lackluster first show for the Style Battle promotion. The venue was a poor choice and the fact it was so cold outside probably had a great amount of effect on the wrestlers as well. I also think some of the talent was not up to par but again, the weather could have played into that. It did not come across well watching live. I also was not that big on this announcing team. I’ve heard worse but they did not exactly enhance anything here. I’ll give the next show a shot and hope they can improve on what did not work here.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Thursday: Kayfabe Commentaries YouShoot with Mr. Anderson

Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 7/9/89

Saturday: Mid-South Wrestling 5/20/82

Sunday: WWF Prime Time Wrestling 7/10/89

Monday: WWF Nassau Coliseum 7/10/89

Tuesday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 7/15/89

Wednesday: Revolution Pro Live at the Cockpit 12 1/8/17