Now, as promised, a special comment about the Glory Pro Wrestling show on Sunday, February 18th at the Meridian Ballroom of Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois.
DISCLAIMER: I'm biased. Deal with it.
I bought my ticket for this one in a hurry. Not only would Savanna Stone be facing the well-traveled veteran Lufisto, but former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito would be in the main event against A.R. Fox. The rest of the card was loaded as well and Glory Pro had a packed house of over 600 people in attendance!
The last time I was in this particular venue was for Wrestling Invades America about three years ago...this time would be a much different story as I was asked to do video commentary about a week beforehand. Two commentators were set up, but the other was under the weather for the weekend and I ended up flying solo for the night. (As fate would have it, they had technical problems with the commentary recording and we had to redo it after the fact...aww. At least the second time around I had a broadcast partner in the form of Greg Jovi.)
There's an elephant in the room involving Michael Elgin and Sean Orleans that I'd rather not touch with a ten-thousand-foot pole. Suffice it to say that I don't feel like I know the involved parties or the situation well enough to make an informed statement; the only people who truly know what happened are the parties directly involved. That may not be good enough for certain people, but that's where I stand. Both Elgin and Orleans seem to be legitimately separated from the promotion; I was at the venue from noon that day until about 8 p.m. and never saw either one (nor did I see them at the after-party at HotShots). I don't feel like it's my battle to fight, so I'll leave it at that.
Your ring announcer was Ben Simon; your referees were C-Lo Banks and Richard White.
Alpha Omega(Camaro Jackson & Kenny Alfonso) & Nathen Edwards vs. "The Master Of Hairflips" Brandon Aarons, "Eye Candy" Elliot Paul, & Graham Bell: This was the preshow match; other local wrestlers were in the house (including Mike Outlaw and Orion Creed) but the show was already stacked with matches and there was just no room for them. Alpha Omega started with the National Wrasslin' League and are branching out a bit to other Midwest promotions. I first saw Edwards in a YouTube video from Gateway Elite Wrestling; he seems to be an entertaining guy, though he was a rulebreaker in the match I watched and was on the fan favorite side here. Alfonso was recently on WWE Smackdown as an opponent/victim of the Bludgeon Brothers(Luke Harper & Erick Rowan) along with Mat Fitchett. Elliot had worked Pro Wrestling Championship Series once or twice before, if I'm not mistaken. The match boiled down to Edwards and Elliot, with Edwards getting the win in 5:24 with a pop-up Death Valley Driver.
"The Stiff Robo Ginger" Gary Jay vs. "The Warhorse" Jake Parnell: These two have battled all over the Midwest in recent times, particularly in Zero-One USA; this was their first bout in the immediate St. Louis area. Their previous encounter in Zero-One saw the ring be literally dismantled and resulted in one of the most horrific injuries I'd ever seen...Gary fishhooked Parnell with a turnbuckle hook and threw him out of the ring, but the hook remained caught in his mouth and ripped his lip! Incredibly Parnell finished the last-man-standing match (despite eventually losing), but he got a noteworthy scar with a lot of stitches and quite a story to tell.
As you might expect, Parnell was out for payback in this one and even had a turnbuckle hook hidden in his boot! Those referees really should do a better job of checking the combatants...thankfully the official confiscated the metal hook before any damage could be done with it. These two didn't need weapons as they dished out incredible punishment on each other...and the feud's not even over as they have a few more bouts lined up in the near future, including a cage match! While Gary had the experience edge, Parnell was the one with a statement to make in front of the large crowd...he scored the big win with the double-stomp off the middle rope to the back of the head in 11:23!
Savanna Stone vs. "The Wounded Owl" Lufisto: It was very cool to briefly chat with Lufisto before the show...it was a good thing I did it at that time as she had to leave mid-show to catch her flight. Lufisto has a ton of experience and has competed in some of the most violent hardcore matches in women's wrestling history. Conversely, Savanna just celebrated her 18th birthday and is less than a year into her wrestling career...but like Fitchett and Alfonso, she made a surprise appearance on WWE television recently as an opponent of Nia Jax on Raw. While both women received positive receptions, Lufisto wasted no time in attacking Savanna as she made her entrance...that solidified Savanna as the clear fan favorite in this fight. Savanna had her moments in this one, but Lufisto repeatedly blocked attempts at the Sliced Bread #2...Lufisto finally won with a modified Burning Hammer in 9:41. Lufisto recently discovered that she has cervical cancer, but luckily it sounds like they caught it early enough to give successful treatment...all the best to her.
The Pride(Matt Kenway & Edvin Kudic) vs. No New Friends(Kevin Lee Davidson & "The Millenial" Danny Adams): I feel like we've seen this match a lot in the past several months; moreover, it seems like Kenway and Kudic are taking different paths in their respective singles careers. (In fact, they were originally booked to face each other in the first round of the upcoming Gateway To Glory tournament.) KLD and Adams spoke before the match and alluded to recent changes in Glory Pro, but said that their tag team dominance was one thing that would NEVER change. No New Friends won a good matchup after isolating Kudic, ending with KLD pinning him after the spinebuster in 10:43.
A.C.H. vs. Tyler Matrix: Before the match, it was announced that Trevor Lee(Matrix's scheduled opponent) would not be there...I never heard any explanation, though he was at All-American Wrestling the previous night. Thankfully they had a suitable replacement...a few fans were apparently thinking it would be Michael Elgin, but instead A.C.H. made his Glory Pro debut! (This is notable because Elgin and A.C.H. had a recent Twitter spat, including A.C.H. outright stating that he would NEVER work for Elgin.) Matrix had scored the upset win in a four-corner match in October and was hoping to continue his momentum, though he could not have prepared well for a surprise opponent like A.C.H. I thought Gary Jay would be dishing out the hardest chops of the night, but A.C.H. was definitely looking to be a contender in that department...Matrix's chest was a mess by the end of the match! Both guys were popular despite A.C.H.'s attempts to work heel-ish...Matrix nearly pulled off the upset on a few occasions, but A.C.H. finished with the Buster Call(brainbuster) in 14:58. (Buster Call is a reference to One Piece, for the uninitiated.)
D.J. Shiima Xion & Everett Connors vs. The Besties In The World("The Miracle Worker" Davey Vega & "The Dirty Rook" Mat Fitchett) for the United Glory Tag Team Titles: Connors had won the Tag Titles with Michael Elgin, but with Elgin's departure from the promotion, he needed a new partner. He certainly got a worthy ally in the form of the former TNA X-Division Champion, who entered in a light-up outfit that would make Justin D'Air jealous. It was an odd form of turnabout as Elgin & Connors had initially won the titles when Fitchett was injured and Stephen Wolf acted as HIS substitute for the night. I joked on commentary that Fitchett was looking to lay the Smackdown on someone or perhaps even Bludgeon his opponents...no, I'm not proud, thanks for asking. Vega and Fitchett continue to make an impact on the national wrestling scene...I write this on Saturday the 24th and The Besties just captured the NWL Tag Team Titles from The Foundation(Michael Strider & Ace Steel) in Overland Park, Kansas last night! Those belts are added to their AAW Tag Titles and Pro Wrestling Revolver Tag Titles, meaning they now hold three sets of tag titles. They very nearly regained the United Glory Tag Titles on this night but it was a pick'em(as they say) that could have gone either way...The Besties were the more established team while D.J. Z and Connors were joining forces for the very first time. The newly-minted tag champs pulled it out in the end as the Besties were setting up for Brain Damage(Vega's Brain Eater/brainbuster onto the knee with Fitchett's flying knee strike)...Connors floated out of the move and Fitchett kneed his partner by mistake. D.J. Z came off the top rope with a frog splash on Fitchett as Connors went up and over into a sunset flip on the stunned Vega for the pin in 15:29!
Intermission~! The Official Ben Simon Concession Count(tm) was a bit higher as I was working, but I also had access to the nearby SIUE cafeteria: Two bottles of water, almonds, protein bar, and Wild Cherry Pepsi. This was a LONG intermission as Naito's autograph signing took place at this time...it lasted slightly over an hour and fans were getting restless for the action to resume. Thankfully things would pick up...as we returned to the ring, referee C-Lo did the Worm to the delight of the fans. That dude is OVAH.
Brandon Espinosa vs. "The Mad Dragon" Hakim Zane vs. "Sensational" Stevie Fierce(w/ mirror) vs. Gringo Loco vs. "The Fresh Prince Of Mid-Air" Trey Miguel vs. "Rich Homie Juice" A.J. Gray: Gray was a substitute for Sami Callihan, who like Trevor Lee was at AAW the previous night but was absent without explanation here. Zane has become a regular with Total Nonstop Action/Impact Wrestling using the name Rohit Raju. Fierce often teams with Rob Matter as "Beauty & The Beast" and has a passing resemblance to Five Direction's Chippy from the NWL. Miguel was making his St. Louis-area debut; he and Stephen Wolf are a regular tag team in AAW.
Espinosa felt like this was his opportunity to shine with all "distractions" put behind him, but he made the mistake of letting everyone else in the match know this and made enemies very quickly. This match featured more highlights than I could hope to name, but one of the most memorable moments came when Gray alley-ooped Miguel HIGH in the air and over the ropes...straight into a flying rana on Gringo Loco on the entrance ramp! Not long after that, Zane got the worst of a corkscrew moonsault from the top to the floor by Gray! The bout could have gone in any number of directions, but the stipulation had been announced a few days before the show that the winner would get the next Crown Of Glory Title shot so the stakes were high. In the end, Zane was able to isolate Espinosa and make him tap out to a Crippler Crossface in 11:06! With his confidence at an all-time high, Espy seemed despondent after the loss...but it'll be Hakim Zane challenging for the Crown Of Glory Title in March.
"Hot Fire" Myron Reed & "The Leader Of The Pack" Stephen Wolf vs. The Boys From Jollyville(T-Money & Nasty Russ Myers): Manager Jason Saint was not in attendance for the show, but his stable was very active as the Jollyville duo went up against one of the man they assaulted at the end of the October event in Reed. Reed joined forces with a man who has been impressive in his previous Glory Pro outings, Stephen Wolf. T-Money and Myers had the advantage in tag team experience, but Reed and Wolf have plenty of tag experience with other partners...and they also had a definite advantage in sheer athleticism. The teamwork factor made the difference as the Boys From Jollyville took out Reed, then T-Money ran over Wolf with the Pounce before Myers delivered a splash off the top; T-Money got the pinfall after that in 9:42.
Jake Something vs. Paco Gonzalez vs. "The Lone Star" Curt Stallion for the Crown Of Glory Title: Something picked up impressive wins in Glory Pro over Shane Sabre, Gary Jay, and Jeff Cobb en route to capturing the title from Myron Reed. Paco defeated Danny Adams in a dog collar match and then pinned Stallion to earn his title opportunity, but Stallion's allegiance with Barackus and the Boys From Jollyville caused Something and Paco to demand that he be added to the matchup. Stallion preferred to duck out of the line of fire and let the other two battle it out, but Something and Paco double-teamed Stallion for a while before the THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE mindset took over. As the match progressed, T-Money and Russ Myers made their way out to the entrance stage, drawing the attention of the champion...the battle led to the referee being caught in the crossfire and knocked down. Stallion took out Something with his flying headbutt, but Paco dropped Stallion with the fireman's-carry Michinoku Driver and seemed to have him pinned...unfortunately there was no one to count the fall. That brought in the Boys From Jollyville to dish out a beating on both Something and Paco, but Myron Reed hit the ring to fight them off...only for Barackus to join his crew and un-even the sides once again. The good guys formed a temporary alliance long enough to ward off the Jollyville/Barackus crew, leaving Stallion on the outside and Something and Paco to battle it out with the gold at stake. Paco had several close calls, but Something countered Paco's fireman's-carry Michinoku Driver straight into the Fire Thunder Driver(the move he used to win the title from Reed), retaining his title in 16:10!
Tetsuya Naito vs. A.R. Fox: Naito's resume speaks for itself...he's held just about every New Japan championship there is to hold and has also won the G1 Climax tournament on two occasions. I first saw him in TNA as one-half of No Limit with Yujiro Takahashi(who's now with the Bullet Club). I had heard a lot of hype about Fox but didn't see him on a regular basis until he appeared in Lucha Underground(as Dante Fox), having some literal wars with "Killshot" Shane Strickland. I first saw him live at All-American Wrestling a bit over a year ago in a match with A.C.H., then saw him in Glory Pro last summer against Myron Reed. Naito was dressed to the nines for his entrance, wearing a white suit with a cape on top of that...of course he took his sweet time in walking to the ring and then disrobing. #TRANQUILO Fox wasn't interested in winning the popularity contest, though he got a mostly positive reception for his entrance...many fans had traveled from all over the country to see Naito. Fox scored near-falls after a swanton bomb and 450 Splash, but Naito persevered...he finally won with the Destino(sitout Asai DDT) in 12:25! Naito briefly spoke to the fans afterwards, doing the Los Ingobernables roll call despite his stablemates being absent...I did see a few Daryl Takahashis in the crowd, at any rate...
Post-show, the after-party was at nearby HotShots...quite a few Glory Pro competitors were in the house, including A.C.H. but sadly not including Naito (to be fair, he had a LONG weekend with other shows in the previous two nights). I basically mooched off the food buffet set out for the wrestling people...hey, I DID "work", though I showed some restraint and didn't chow down too much. A good time was had by all, from what I saw...woo.
March looks like this:
-Saturday 3/3: Zero-One USA in Mattoon, IL (I have a comedy show in Marion, IL that night so I won't make it)
-Sunday 3/4: Strictly Nsane Pro Wrestling in Sims, IL
-Saturday 3/10: World League Wrestling in Moscow Mills, MO; Mid-Missouri Wrestling Alliance in St. Louis, MO(South Broadway Athletic Club); World Powerhouse Wrestling in Madison, IL
-Sunday 3/11: Wrestling Over Everything in Centreville, IL
-Friday 3/16: National Wrasslin' League in O'Fallon, MO
-Saturday 3/24: Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling in East Carondelet, IL
-Sunday 3/25: Glory Pro Wrestling in Swansea, IL
-Saturday 3/31: Dynamo Pro Wrestling in St. Louis, MO(Concordia Turners Gymnasium)
That's my special comment for this, the eleventh wrestling show I've attended in the year 2018. Good night, good luck, and #yaywrestling.
-PB, Watching Wrestling Wrong Since 1991
P.S. We are all marks.
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