Friday Indie Spotlight Thing: Prime Time Pro’s 1st Annual IGPTTCI

Well, here goes nothing.

Listen, I want to help pro wrestling in my neck of the woods grow, and the only way to do this is to inform you all of shows YOU want to watch that involve the three biggest indies in the DMV (Prime Time Pro, Flying V Fights, and CRAB Wrestling). Of course, I’m very much involved in all of them, so it’s a touch-and-go situation reviewing them. I’m going to say ahead of time to all wrestlers who read this: no matter what I notice in your match, you did better than I could have done. And to you readers: if you think I’m being generous, go ahead, but I assure you the shows are THAT much fun.

So, this is Prime Time Pro Wrestling. It basically was formed by former NOVA Pro personality Coach Gator to fill the void in the area, specifically becoming the first DC-based independent in who knows how long. The most high-budget of the three, it’s spread its influence very early, becoming a mainstay of IWTV livestreams. Now, this show wasn’t live-streamed, which is a shame because it would’ve gotten a lot of buzz. As it was, it did anyway, if that makes sense. So… buckle up, and get ready.

The PG Era Rant for Prime Time Pro Wrestling’s First Annual Invitational Grand Prix Tournament of Tournaments Classic International. (Tape runtime: 133 minutes)

From Washington, DC.

Your host is Jason Heat, going solo. Jamal Shipley is your ring announcer, with Adam Gault and John Kermon your referees.

So the hook of this show is a 12-person (well, the idea was 12, but travel issues knocked it down to 10) tournament with undisclosed prizes waiting for the winner. In addition, the only two champions in PTPW history – inaugural champ Breaux Keller and the man who won it from him in O’Shay Edwards – will face off in a cage match, and the inaugural tag champs will be crowned in what’s billed as a Capitol Heights Match (essentially an Ultimate X, though ladders are legal if you bring your own).

Opening match, Quarterfinal: Sage Philips vs. Tasha Steelz. Case in point, this match, as Angelus Layne was stuck in the Midwest due to rotten weather and couldn’t make the trip. Now, there was consideration given to having replacements, but a three-way match minus one member becomes a two-way match, so just run with it, right? I’d be remiss, though, if I didn’t mention the front row of fans (DMV fans are notoriously weird) has lined the guardrail with the name of the show spelled out in case anyone forgets the incredibly convoluted tournament name.

Code of Honor offered by Sage, but Steelz kicks his hand away. Sage goes for a quick legsweep, but Steelz feels it coming. Lockup, and Sage gives a clean break in the corner. Steelz does not reciprocate, then gives him the circle game. I assume. Steelz works the arm, but Sage rolls out of it and returns a How Do You Like Me Now to Steelz, who charges into a drop toehold and Indian Deathlock. Sage with a headlock takedown with arm control, but Steelz fights out and we go International… broken up by Sage when he trips Steelz in the leapfrog.

Steelz is sent outside, Sage thinks of following, and after a block of an outside-in move by Sage, Steelz gets the superkick. Big forearm by Steelz and a corner whip, and Steelz adds a kneelift, uppercut, and gut kick. Swinging neckbreaker follows for two. Straight lefts on Steelz, then a discus right as we’re five minutes in (the first-round matches have a 10-minute time limit). Steelz stalls for time, only getting one off the cover.

Sage wakes up and fights back, and the two chop each other, with Steelz getting the advantage until a blind charge misses. Sage kicks Steelz down and follows with a bridging German for two. Steelz bails, so Sage with a tope con giro. Outside-in Complete Shot into the Anaconda Vice, but they’re too close to the ropes and Steelz grabs it. Octopus try, only Steelz fights out and gets a tilt-a-whirl DDT for two. Sage goldbricks into a small package for two. La Majistral into a butterfly suplex try, but Steelz escapes and cradles with the tights (not seen on camera, but trust me) for the pin at 8:01. (**1/4)

THOUGHTS: While a ten-minute time limit in the first round is understandable – you have four such matches and two rounds to go – it kinda hurt this match, which felt like it had five more minutes in it. The good news is that means I want to see a rematch. Both wrestlers were faces in the early going, but Steelz slid into the heel role quite comfortably. One thing about Sage is that he’s gotten pretty far as someone whose gimmick is “looks like Rivers Cuomo and has technical proficiency allowing him to succeed despite being like 5’7”, which is less of a gimmick than you’d think. Steelz leans hard into being La Boricua and it fits her. Very good idea for an opener, all things considered.

Quarterfinal: Logan Easton LaRoux vs. Trish Adora. LaRoux is a former CRAB Champion and former PWI Ultra J Champion, but more importantly is the “Champion of the 1%”. He’s more or less MJF without the overbearing negative attitude towards everyone. (In fact, he has a fan club – in Virginia, people will sometimes come to his shows in three-piece suits pretending to be his neighbors in his gated community.) Adora is from the Anacostia neighborhood of DC, often inviting her high school ex-classmates to attend, and has an Afropunk gimmick. I hope I don’t have to tell you who the face is in this match.

Logan opens with a waistlock takedown and he flashes the 1. Lockup, but Adora returns the waistlock takedown. Logan with a headlock, but Adora knocks him down on the push-off. Logan tries a wristlock next, but Adora reverses. Logan kips up and sucker punches Adora. He runs into a kick and flying armdrag from Adora, who pounces Logan into the ropes. Logan bails, clearly dazed. Adora tries to slingshot Logan in, but he blocks, so Adora kicks him and beals him in instead.

Forearms in the corner by Adora, but a blind charge misses and Logan with a neckbreaker. He taunts Kermon (usually a wrestler and one who has been in feuds with Logan in the past) before choking Adora on the bottom rope and getting a Drive By. He launches himself in, then just stomps Adora. Now Logan forearms Adora in the corner, avoiding an Adora chop and getting one of his own. Dropkick gets two. Adora tries to fight up, but Logan controls her and gets the Three Amigos… well, two of them, as Adora reverses the third and both are down.

They get to their knees and slug it out, with Adora winning it until Logan goes to the eyes. Logan boxes Adora down, but a superkick is caught and Adora chops Logan hard. Forearms from Adora and a crossbody, then a Stinger Splash. A second one is intercepted with an elbow, but Adora comes back with the Bossman Slam for two. Logan kicks away a clothesline and gets an enzuigiri and Miz clothesline. Up top, and a missile dropkick gets two. Subprime Mortgage (RKO) try, but Adora blocks and gets a senton. Logan cradles off of it for two. Superkick by Logan, but Adora no-sells and fires off Lariat Tubman (now that’s a great finisher name) for the pin at 8:24. (**1/2)

THOUGHTS: We have a very good face and a very good heel, so the crowd was in it from the beginning. Logan is one of those guys who can make anyone look good and who can wrestle both a short and long match style. Adora is someone I saw for the first time at this show, but she was very over with the crowd and had a great power moveset and babyface comeback. This match may have had travel issues be a blessing in disguise (Davienne would have been the third but got stranded). These two were meant to face off one on one.

Arik Royal vs. Mack Buckler vs. Isaiah Frazier. Okay, all three of these guys are major players in CRAB, which is the promotion that got me into the business, so of course I was looking forward to this match. Buckler is the current CRAB Champion, Royal holds the secondary title, and Frazier is the ace of the promotion. Royal and Buckler are both big boys (about 6’3-6’4 and over 240), which provides a good contrast to the 6’0, 205 Frazier. Frazier stops at ringside to high-five some “fans” (actually CRAB undercarders like Josh Fuller, Mikey Banker, Gabe Nozid, and Donnie Dollars)…

…and Buckler throws Frazier over the guardrail into the whole group! [The bell doesn’t ring until the action goes to the ring, but we’ll start the timer now.] Royal takes exception and attacks Buckler, who throws him into the ring. Royal chops Buckler in the corner, beating him down and adding a dropkick (he’s 6’3 and 260!). Buckler rushes Royal into the corner and chops away as the crowd wills Frazier to get to the ring.

Royal picks Buckler up out of the corner and throws him into the other one before adding a spinebuster for two. More chops in the corner, but Buckler goes to the eyes. He taunts the referee and turns around…

as Frazier flies in from the top rope and crossbodies Buckler! Big right hands by Frazier, and a Complete Shot follows. Royal gives Frazier a Swiss Death, but Frazier trips Royal on the run and comes back in with a slingshot elbowdrop. Buckler back in with forearms of his own, and a slugfest breaks out between Buckler and Frazier. Frazier wins that – he is a Frazier, after all – but walks into a Sky High for two,

Royal saves. Royal ducks a lariat and calls for a powerbomb only for Buckler to try a Sky High on him, which Royal reverses to a clawhold slam (Space Jam) for two. The strap comes down on Royal, but he runs into a lariat from Buckler. Buckler says it’s over, and he’s right… he turns around into the Smoke (Knee Plus) from Frazier for the pin at 5:10 of action. (***) And yup, that’s me leaving the timekeeper pit to give Isaiah a big high five as he exits.

THOUGHTS: Look how loaded those five minutes were! One thing I’ve learned from all these men (and they’ve been very patient with me in training and chatting, believe me) is that less can be more. The sprint is a lost art in wrestling when New Japan and AEW have taught people that a match needs to be epic to be memorable. Here we had three guys go all-out from the opening bell – heck, before it – and the crowd was with it all the way. Royal in particular is incredibly agile for his size, and if a major promotion were to scoop him up it would… well, be overdue, honestly. Frazier is starting to break out on his own, and Buckler has been the reliable player-trainer and great roughneck heel. Attention to Beyond Wrestling: Season 3 Discovery Gauntlet. Any of them.

Quarterfinal: Nick Iggy vs. Ariela Nyx vs. Effy. Nick Iggy is the Ringleader of the Carnies, a Tennessee-based trio that does great business around the Southeast. With Kerry Awful out on paternity leave and Tripp Cassidy moving to Florida for the time being, Iggy’s going solo. Ariela Nyx is a mainstay in the DC area among others – and here, Mark Adam Haggerty is serving as her manager.

And then there’s Effy. I cannot explain Effy other than “great gay wrestler and great wrestler who is gay”, and even then I feel like I’m selling him 1000 yards short. He comes out to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, his tights say Daddy on them, he wears fishnets, but his jackets has spikes on it and he’s an incredible athlete who uses his sexuality for mind games. I just asked a friend how to sum up Effy and he said “Wrestling’s gay Jesus”. He is a presence in the ring and one of the most successful independent wrestlers, period, right now.

As is tradition, a young ring boy helps Effy out of his jacket… but Iggy steals the jacket and stomps on it. And then, during the patdown, referee Kermon apologizes ahead of time to Nyx (“I’m not creepy, I swear.” Fan: “Only creeps say that!”) before Effy whirls around and insists Kermon check the back of his trunks. Iggy and Effy get into the middle of the ring and yell at each other, with Iggy more or less accusing Effy of being a fake. Both turn to Nyx, who’s just happy to see them argue. Effy grabs a headlock, Iggy reverses, and we go International with it ending with Iggy throwing Nyx in the way. Iggy with a reverse waistlock, but Effy grinds on Iggy to escape. Iggy then offers to do the same to Nyx, who is creeped out, so Iggy calls timeout. “He does it to me and you all cheer? Is that fair?” Crowd: “YES!”

Nyx cuts off Iggy’s diatribe and Effy throws him out, so Nyx tosses Effy into the corner. Effy goes up as Iggy pulls Nyx away and the two begin slugging it out with each other. Effy waits to get their attention before hitting a double Blockbuster for two on each one. Effy runs into a big curbstomp from Iggy, and Iggy with the fishhook on both opponents… who yank him down and give it back to him! High-five by Effy and Nyx, who gives Effy a uranage onto Iggy for two.

Pump kick by Nyx, but Iggy with a springboard Stunner to Nyx. Effy with a Boston Crab on Iggy, but he crawls over to cover Nyx for two. Nyx rolls away so Effy keeps the hold on, and Nyx with a facejam to break, getting two. Iggy with a chop to Nyx’s throat, but Haggerty keeps Nyx from being German suplexed. Iggy runs the two together and tosses Nyx out, only to run into a TKO from Effy and a Bank Statement for the submission at 6:00 (*1/2). Poor Nyx has to drag Haggerty’s lifeless corpse to the back.

THOUGHTS: Too much non-wrestling in this one for my taste. There’s nothing wrong with gaga in a match, and few do it better than Nick Iggy, but given the direction they took it, I’m not a fan. When you only have six minutes to play with, it seems to make more sense to get down to business (refer to the prior triple threat match). As a morality play, it was fine – the bully Iggy getting his comeuppance from the belittled Effy – but it also made Nyx a third wheel, and from what I’ve seen of her she deserves better. This match wasn’t about the technical rating, but I gotta talk about it anyway, don’t I?

Capitol Heights Match for the inaugural PTPW Tag Team Championships: Pretty Proper (Victor Benjamin and Lady Frost) vs. Capital Vices (Sin and Money) vs. Kings of the District (Jordan Blade and Eel O’Neal) vs. Billy Dixon

So, to recap: there were four qualifying matches to get into this. Kings of the District, Capital Vices, the Nouveau Aesthetique (BLANK and Still Life) and the team of Billy Dixon and Bobby Orlando all qualified. But then Still Life had to pull out, so the Aesthetique was removed (those in the know can smile about why this is fair). Then Bobby Orlando had an appendectomy and wasn’t cleared in time, but Dixon convinced management to let him go it alone to try to win for his team. But you can’t have a match like this with only 5 people, so an extra qualifier was held (in Rio de Janeiro, needless to say) to get Pretty Proper into the match. And as a reminder, this is Ultimate X rules, and the management provided no ladders to climb. Everybody got that?

Pretty Proper is a steampunk tag team and husband-and-wife duo. The Capital Vices are two guys in Freddy Kreuger style gear and, in the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that Money is responsible for training me. The Kings of the District are Eel O’Neal, a high-flyer with a Malcolm X look, and Jordan Blade, a female MMA fighter. Billy Dixon is a 300-pound fun-loving guy who, by the way, is in charge of promotion for the DC Pride wrestling event.

So after the obligatory “stare up at the gold and realize how far up it is” moment, we get a huge brawl. The Vices get the early advantage as Sin does avalanches on everyone but Dixon (who gets slammed down). The Vices then fling all four of the corner victims halfway across the ring in turn. Dixon returns now with a double clothesline, but only Money goes down. The two 300-pounders stare it down, with Dixon getting a spear on Sin. The Kings return only to get their legs tied together, but they duck lariats and get a double anklelock on Dixon.

O’Neal trips Dixon with a basement dropkick, and Blade punts Dixon. Benjamin returns now, with O’Neal insisting he can outpower him… and it doesn’t work. But an eyepoke and footstomp, and now Benjamin’s knocked over with a shoulderblock… only for Frost to knock O’Neal down with kicks. She cartwheels off O’Neal’s back and gets a soccer dropkick. Blade nails Frost with a forearm, but Frost returns with a cradle into a roundhouse kick. Benjamin throws Money in and climbs the structure, hanging upside down as Money gives Frost a jawbreaker.

Money pulls a gambit: berate Frost and get Benjamin to stop climbing. It works, as Frost hangs upside down and smacks Money around. Bejmain then shimmies back to the corner, where Frost hooks her arms to Benjamin’s legs and is flung claw-style into a rana on Money! Bejamin nails Clockwork (540 kick) on O’Neal before Blade suplexes Benjamin down. O’Neal and Blade knock down Sin, but he hooks the ropes and flips O’Neal out before tossing Blade. Sin teases a dive, but before we find out how that would turn out Dixon pounces him.

Dixon then dives off the apron onto everyone. Frost follows off the top turnbuckle with a moonsault onto the pile (at some point, Frost “hurt” her right leg). Now Frost climbs, but she’s too short to reach the structure and lands on her bad leg again. Meanwhile, Money looks to climb, but Benjamin stops him at the turnbuckle. Money kicks Benjamin onto the pile on the outside, then swings on the bars and Coffin Drops onto everyone!

Dixon gets a ladder – it’s okay, he bought it and hid it under the ring pre-match – while Sin finds a table and puts it in the corner. And it’s a plastic table, not a wooden one. Anyway, Blade tries to stop Dixon and can’t, but O’Neal pulls Dixon down and starts a slug-out. O’Neal wins it and slams Dixon down to a big pop. Meanwhile, Sin works over the bad leg of Frost on the outside as O’Neal slowly climbs. Dixon goes to the second rope, walks it, and spears O’Neal down!

Sin beats up both of Pretty Proper and sees everyone down, so he goes to climb. Blade returns and stops Sin from showboating.

Blade: “Fight Me, Mother–, Fight Me!”
Sin: “You’re a girl!”
Blade: “I don’t care!”
Chops, but Sin gets an overhead right.
Sin (to the crowd): “See? She’s a girl!”
Blade pops up and gives Sin a German suplex.

Then both members of Pretty Proper get pop-up forearms, while Money runs into a T-Bone. Dixon rolls back in and clings to Blade’s leg to stop her. Blade pounds Dixon into a gooey paste, adding a spinebuster. Blade is too tired to climb the ladder, then Money catches her and the Vices give the Seventh Circle (powerbomb/neckbreaker combo) to Blade.

Money climbs, while Frost gives Sin a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Benjamin catches Money in a gorilla press, and Frost comes off the top rope with the Proper Dropper (Cryme Tyme’s G9). Kings of the District with Misery Business (double face-first flapjack). O’Neal can’t jump up there, even with Blade’s help, so he takes the ladder as Benjamin climbs the other side, but O’Neal headbutts Benjamin and pulls the belts down to win at 15:01. (****)

THOUGHTS: These types of matches are usually highlight reels waiting to happen, and this is no exception. But what really stood out is that, even within the structure of a highlight reel, there were character moments. For example, after the claw-hook into the rana, Benjamin dropped down to kiss the hand of his wife as a gentleman would. Or, for example, Money beating up Frost to stop Benjamin from going for gold. Or Blade demanding a fight from the much bigger Dixon or Sin. Or Sin being dismissive of Blade and paying for it. Or Frost fighting through a leg injury. I mean, lots of little nods along the way that made this more than a generic spotfest, and the crowd appreciated them all. This was a great way to go to intermission. See this match if at all possible.

And no, you didn’t miss anything: the table was a red herring.

Semifinal: Tasha Steelz vs. Trish Adora. Adora is favoring her gut based on damage from her previous match. Face-off to start, then a shoving match. Then they slug it out hard and fast, ending with Adora hitting an enzuigiri. Adora charges into a boot in the corner. Steelz adds some uppercuts and a superkick to the gut, but runs into a powerslam for two. Steelz goes up and over in the corner and superkicks Adora, following up with a rolling head kick for two. Steelz lands some lefts, but she runs into a Black Hole Backbreaker for two.

Adora stays on her knees and slugs it with Steelz (who flips her off), leading to Adora laying in heavy on the forearms. They go back and forth on the ropes exchanging strikes, but Adora pounces Steelz to the outside. She follows outside and bashes Steelz against the guardrail, but she goes on too long and it’s a double countout at 4:28. (1/2*) Adora chops the ringpost by mistake and Steelz tries to take advantage. Both women slam each other every which way into the guardrail and brawl to the back.

THOUGHTS: This was always going to be a double-countout, so you might as well rip the band-aid off early. The post-match brawling indicates a rematch will be down the line. But for now, with both women out, the only two people left are Frazier and Effy, making their match the de facto final.

Jaden Newman vs. Tim Donst. Newman is O’Shay Edwards’s sidekick, and Donst is Breaux Keller’s friend, so we have this match. This match, like the first round, has a ten minute time limit. Newman is Crux Wrestling’s Tri-State Champion, but this is non-title. Newman puts on Donst’s jacket, leading to a big argument. Newman with a dropkick to start, then he rakes Donst’s eyes against the ropes. Newman with a boot off a backdrop try, but it’s short-lived as Donst with a lariat and corner chop. Another chop, and he teases a third only to switch to the PURPLE NURPLE OF DOOM.

Donst flips Newman onto the apron and suplexes him back in, following with an inverted Romero Special. He releases on two and Newman bails. Donst loks to dive after him, only to get his head draped on the ropes, and a Complete Shot to the apron follows. Newman with a victory lap, and Donst gets thrown into the guardrail. Another victory lap by Newman, and back in, it gets two. Newman gives Donst a boot choke against the bottom rope, following with a choke against the middle rope. And yes, Newman does another victory lap before giving Donst a cravate on the middle rope.

Back in again, but Donst with a shock cradle for two. Newman stays on Donst in the corner, and a running forearm and uppercut follow. Double knees in the corner gets two. Five minutes are gone as Newman goes to the top rope, and… Newman lands on his feet and does a simple elbow. And another victory lap, but this time Donst catches him coming around with a lariat. Both men are tired, but Donst is in at 8, only for Newman to pull him back out and give a pump kick.

Newman tosses Donst back in, so Donst runs with the momentum and delivers a tope and a diving axhandle off the apron. Now back in again, and Donst with a German suplex out of the corner for two. Newman with a guillotine on the top rope, then a flying knee and First to Last gets two, but Donst grabs the bottom rope. (Crowd: “Ring Awareness!”) Newman keeps throwing forearms on Donst, which wakes him up and they exchange forearms. Newman slams Donst’s head into the mat, but Donst comes back with the Gotcha Cutter for two.

It’s announced there’s one minute left in the match, and both men start going into a pinfall reversal sequence, which gets seven near falls. Donst stops it with a lariat as we reach the 30 second mark. Donst with a fireman’s carry, but Newman slides out of it and gets a cradle with the tights for the pin at 9:42. (**)

THOUGHTS: This was going really well until the two men realized they were almost out of time. At this point, you could tell they were caught off guard and went straight to trying to steal wins. Newman got the better of it through cheating, but hey, he’s a heel so why not. Had this match had a 15-minute time limit instead of 10, it would’ve been much better and gotten a more organic finish. What’s weird is that I’ve seen both men do 5-7 minute matches before, so it’s not like they don’t know how to keep it quick. Just chalk this one up to bad timing. Still looked like it was telling a good story along the way.

De Facto final: Isaiah Frazier vs. Effy. So with everyone on the other side of the bracket eliminated, it’s down to these two for the tournament. And it’s kind of appropiate: in November, they faced off in a qualifier and went to a time limit draw, but so impressed Gator that he put them both in the tournament anyway. A “Both These Guys” chant breaks out during the patdown.

The two lockup, and they grapple themselves to the mat and back up, backing into the corner and getting a clean break. Next lockup, and Effy gets a waistlock takedown and gets a front facelock, into a hammerlock. Effy goes to the headlock, but Frazier reverses and gets a takedown. Effy goes to a headscissors and preens. Frazier kips out of it and we’re back to square one. Frazier now with a headlock, and Frazier cartwheels over a drop-down before getting a leg lariat.

Effy bails and Frazier wants a dive, but Effy’s ready with an uppercut. Effy does a grind and pound on the apron, only for Frazier to backdrop him in and Effy rolls out the other way. Frazier follows with a tornillo. Back in, blind charge eats boot and Effy gets the Ruff Ryder for two. Effy goes to a chinlock, with Frazier fighting to his feet only to run into a lariat. Effy does mounted punches in the corner before getting down and doing machine gun stomps on a seated Frazier. Facewash knee gets two.

Effy with a suplex try, but Frazier with a small package for two, then an enzuigiri, eventually crawling over for two. Effy with a pump kick and superkick, and he starts to climb. Frazier catches him with a Kurt Angle overhead suplex off the buckle! This leads to a double KO and a huge Isaiah chant.

Frazier slugs away on Effy, who fires back in a slugfest leading to a hockey fight as they wear each other out. Effy with a low kick, maybe too low, but Frazier ducks a clothesline and gets a right cross. Falcon Arrow gets two. Effy catches Frazier with a backslide for two, then a powerbomb for two. Another lariat try by Effy, but Frazier catches the arm and gets a crossface. Effy slides them to grab the ropes, so Frazier just drags Effy back to the middle and puts it on again. This time Effy stacks Frazier up for the three and the tournament win at 10:40. (**3/4)

THOUGHTS: Another great story, this time of athletic youngster being caught by a wily veteran. Whereas in the first round, Effy was a face, here he skewed heel and got the crowd on Frazier’s side. For indy fans, matches like this will confirm Frazier’s potential. Effy’s a known quantity, but it’s Frazier who is close to breaking out.

Post-match, Gator and his second-in-command Lolo congratulate Effy and announce his reward: first, he’ll be challenging for the title at the anniversary show in May; second, he is the first-ever seondary champion (named the 51^st State Champion). For the record, Effy had no idea there was a title on the line. But on top of this, at March 7 at Butch Versus Gore (the DC Pride event), Effy will make his first title defense against Faye Jackson in the main event! Big announcement, and Effy as the first champion of both the tournament and the secondary title makes great sense.

Main event, steel cage for the PTPW Heavyweight Championship: O’Shay Edwards (champion) vs. Breaux Keller (challenger). Pin/submission/escape rules apply. Edwards comes out carrying plunder (trash can, lid, kendo sticks, a couple chairs), but Keller is having none of it and dropkicks Edwards to keep him on the floor. Keller kicks at the legs, but Edwards tosses Keller into the cage on the outside. Trash can lid to the back and Edwards tosse it into the ring. He then SHATTERS a kendo stick over the back and tosses it in.

Trash can to the back is next, then he grabs a chair and sizes Breaux up against the ringpost. Swing and a miss, and Keller has the chair, stalking Edwards. He chases Edwards into the cage (bell rings now), and Keller has the chair with him as Edwards negotiates for a peace treaty. Keller goes to town with the chair on Edwards’ back. Air Sabu dropkick on Edwards off of the chair, and Keller wedges the chair into the turnbuckles. Edwards charges and Keller oles him straight into the chair. Dropkick into the chair follows for two.

Keller goes to leave, but Edwards hangs on to the ankle. He stands up and tosses Keller into the corner cage, following with a release German suplex. Edwards chokes Keller with the chair. Edwards continues pounding away before sending Keller to Suplex City, ending with a stalling vertical. Keller hooks the rope to stop a rebound off a whip, then dodges Edwards to send him into the cage wall.

Keller with a trash can lid to the head of Edwards, then he beals Edwards back into the ring proper from the apron for two. Keller with a springboard takedown for two. Keller leaps onto Edwards’ shoulders, and after some struggling, Keller drops Edwards with a spinning facebuster for two. Keller decides to climb out (Edwards is lying too close to the door), but Edwards finds the kendo stick and slams it into Keller’s back before yanking him off the cage.

Now Edwards climbs the turnbuckle, but Keller finds the trash can lid and chucks it at Edwards to slow him down. Edwards slumps to the top rope, so Keller leaps to the top rope to climb over him… but Edwards with a Batista Bomb off the ropes! It takes everything out of Edwards, too, though, so the crowd begins a chant as both men are down.

Edwards is up first, but Keller fires back with rights and we have a kneeling slugfest. Keller fires off a swarm of shots and a knee to the face, then a superkick… which takes Edwards just to one knee. Keller with a Van Daminator to knock Edwards down. Edwards catches Keller with a pop-up powerslam and gets the kendo stick, whipping Keller with it. He picks Keller up and just gives a right haymaker to floor him again. He says he’s ready to walk out, but Keller finds the kendo stick and low blows Edwards with it over and over.

Keller with the Gutter Butter (fireman’s carry gutbuster) and he goes for the door, but Jaden Newman emerges and slams the door in his face. Tim Donst chases him and powerbombs him into the cage as a receipt and rallies Keller as both men crawl to the door. Edwards stops Keller, but Newman slams a kendro stick into Donst and holds the door shut. Edwards picks a confused Keller up and lands the Burning Hammer… and Newman slides some zip ties into the ring! Edwards gets them, ties Keller to the middle rope, and walks out to retain (as Newman beats up Donst with the kendo stick) at 14:23 plus however long the outside action took (***1/2). Edwards finds some fans of his and celebrates in the crowd.

THOUGHTS: That’s a blowoff. Lots of weapon shots and good cage action. Even the climbs had a purpose, leading to high spots. It’s clear from the Newman/Donst finish that those two weren’t done, and indeed, that came back in the main event with Newman costing Keller the gold and keeping around his friend’s waist. Keller may be out of title opportunities for the time being – and with Effy in place down the line, it’ll be a while before he gets another chance – but he wasn’t weakened at all by the match. That’s what you want in a main event.

WRAP-UP: I came into this rewatch afraid I’d have to choose my words carefully, but honestly, all the wrestlers on this show performed very well. There was no soft performance, and even the worst match on the card served a purpose of (probably) setting up a program. Add in a surprise championship being added and an incredible tag team showcase alongside a strong main event, and this is what you want from a wrestling promotion.

The star ratings may not be AEW level, but that’s beside the point: you had character building and story advancement. O’Shay Edwards moves on from Breaux Keller, but Jaden Newman has to answer for what he’s done; Isaiah Frazier once again shows that he’s the future, but finds out the future isn’t here yet; and Effy’s versatility got him enough sympathy in the first match that the crowd approved of his finals win.

On top of that, the show had variety. You had a wrestling exhibition with Sage/Steelz, a face/heel dynamic in Logan/Adora and Iggy/Effy (with Ariela Nyx playing both sides against each other), a beautiful sprint in Royal/Buckler/Frazier, chaotic fireworks in the tag match, a program starter in Steelz/Adora, a program ender in Edwards/Keller, and a program middle in Donst/Newman. It’s only the promotion’s fifth show – worth looking back to see how we got here.

Sure, I’m biased a little, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good show. This is a WATCH IT without reservation.