By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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LA Fights vs. Jersey Championship Wrestling
Streamed on FITE TV
April 1, 2022 in Dallas, Texas
“LA Fights vs. Jersey Championship Wrestling” opened day two of The Collective, the 12-show series on Friday, April 1, 2022, in Dallas, Texas. As the title accurately states, this show is a series of matches pitting wrestlers from rival, cross-country promotions.
Nick Knowledge and Veda Scott and Bill Dixon were on commentary at different points in the show. The attendance was perhaps 300. (There are four shows a day at the Collective, and the middle shows drew the largest crowds, which shouldn’t be a surprise).
The show opened with an 18-man tag match. That is not a misprint.
1. “Team JCW” Jordan Oliver, Yoya, Janai Kai, Edith Surreal, Bam Sullivan, Charlie Tiger, Ellis Taylor, and Slade defeated Bad Dude Tito, Damian Drake, Lucas Riley, Titus Alexander, Hunter Freeman, and the rest of LA Fights at 8:26. Nope, I didn’t catch all their names. I saw several of the LA Fights guys at the Game Changer Wrestling shows that occurred in California this week. Veda Scott admittedly didn’t even know the LA Fight guys.
Not a surprise, we had an insane three-person tower spot from the top rope onto a dozen wrestlers on the floor at 6:30. The announcers talked about how Yoya impressed against Ninja Mack at Bloodsport on Friday afternoon. The match was set up kind of like a battle royal, with everyone brawling on the floor, allowing just two wrestlers to do something interesting in the ring. This match was a bit disappointing, because outside of that tower spot, no one really got a chance to shine. This was just too big to be memorable for anyone. JCW 1, LAF 0.
2. Cole Radrick defeated Kevin Blackwood at 9:34. I recently saw Radrick lose to female wrestler Billie Starkz, which isn’t a good first impression. Blackwood is taller and more muscular; he has competed on a lot of GCW and PWG shows recently. They traded slaps early, and suddenly Radrick is bleeding from the forehead at 1:30. Radrick applied a Crippler Crossface. Blackwood hit three German Suplexes. Radrick hit a springboard-back-stunner for a nearfall at 5:00; his face is now drenched in blood from that forehead cut.
They traded mid-ring stiff forearms. Radrick applied a sleeper. Blackwood escaped and hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 7:30. Blackwood hit a running kick to the chest and a piledriver for a believable nearfall; that should have ended it. They traded kicks. Cole hit a flip slam for the clean pin. This was the wrong outcome; at this point in time, Blackwood is far, far better in the ring. JCW 2, LAF 0.
3. Jack Cartwheel defeated Alec Price at 8:38. Cartwheel is shorter than his opponent but much thicker; he has impressed me so much this year, even though I still hate the name. Carthweel hit a springboard slam into the ring. He missed a second-rope moonsault to the floor, and Price immediately attacked him on the floor. In ring, Price hit a kick to the face and was in charge. Cartwheel hit a flying crossboyd block at 4:30, a cartwheel DDT and a standing moonsault for a nearfall.
Price hit a top-rope double-stomp. He put Cartwheel on his shoulders and slammed him into the corner. They had an awkward (botched) mid-ring Spanish Fly. Cartwheel applied a Triangle Choke at 7:00, but Cartwheel turned it into a sit-down powerbomb. Cartwheel hit a Poison Rana, then the Sasake Special to the floor. Cartwheel then hit a (Pac) top-rope corkscrew press for the pin. Really good showcase for Cartwheel. JCW 2, LAF 1.
4. Big Vin defeated Juicy Finau at 6:47. I’ve written this before, but Finau is like a Samoan Blue Meanie, with his half-shirt, allowing his big gut to hang out. Big Vin is tall and thick, but nowhere as heavy as Finau. They traded shoulder blocks with neither man going down; finally, Finau rolled to the floor. Vin went for a dive, but Finau cut him off with a punch to the head. They brawled on the floor at 2:30. In ring, Vin hit an axe kick to the back of the neck. Finau hit a Boss Man slam. Vin hit a side slam for a nearfall at 5:00. Finau hit a Samoan Drop for a nearfall. However, Vin hit a second-rope powerbomb for the pin. This was the right length here. JCW 3, LAF 1.
5. Nick Wayne defeated Marcus Mathers at 15:24. Wayne continues to impress everywhere he goes. Mathers came out first and he’s a ball of energy. His reddish-blond hair is tied in a ponytail. Not sure why he chose a ring name that makes me think of Eminem. They shook hands, and Knowledge said this was “the battle of the teen titans.” They opened with an intense lockup. They blocked each other’s attempts to hit cutters and other big moves. Wayne hit a huracanrana at 3:30, then a dive to the floor. Mathers dropped Wayne onto the ring apron. Mathers took control in the ring, hitting several hard chops in the corner.
They hit simultaneous clotheslines and were both down at 7:30. Wayne hit a jumping enzuigiri followed by a mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall. Mathers hit a running forearm in the corner, then a twisting suplex for a nearfall at 9:00. The crowd has really come alive. They traded hard kicks and had an awkward Canadian Destroyer; I heard a “u f— up” from someone in the crowd. They got back to their feet and traded more hard chops and forearms. Mathers hit a Helluva Kick in the corner at 11:30.
Wayne hit a Dragon Suplex and a Canadian Destroyer for a believable nearfall. Mathers hit a modified Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Wayne went for a Code Red, but Mathers caught him and dropped down for a nearfall at 13:30. Mathers hit a sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Mathers hit a spinning faceplant for a nearfall, and Mathers is clearly frustrated. He went to the top rope, but Wayne caught him with a cutter. Wayne hit one more stunner for the pin. Yes, some awkward exchanges here, but this was a good match from two rising stars. JCW 3, LAF 2.
6. Billie Starkz defeated Sandra Moone at 10:05. I saw both of these women recently in intergender matches. They shook hands, then they traded quick rollup attempts in the first minute. Starkz caught her with a nice enziguri for a nearfall at 3:30. Moone fired back with several hard chops. Moone hit a German Suplex, dumping Moone on her head. Moone hit a Blue Thunder Driver for a nearfall at 6:30.
Moone hit a dive through the ropes to the floor. In the ring, she hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall. Starkz hit a Gory Bomb at 8:00. Starkz missed a Swanton Bomb. Moone picked up Starkz and rammed her head into the middle turnbuckle. Starkz hit two German suplexes, then a Dragon Suplex with a bridge to get the pin. Good match. JCW 4, LAF 2.
7. B-Boy defeated Grim Reefer at 13:11. Reefer took out a joint and took a hit; he passed it to B-Boy, who stomped it out, and the crowd booed. The announcers put over B-Boy’s return to the wrestling scene after several injuries. Reefer went for a dive, but B-Boy cut him off with a hard punch, and they brawled on the floor. I gotta believe these two have fought before, and probably several times. B-Boy grounded him with a sleeper in the ring.
Reefer hit a second-rope side Russian Leg Sweep at 6:00, and they were both down. Reefer got out another joint! He hit several punches with the cigarette in his mouth, then he nailed a Swanton for a nearfall. B-Boy hit a Saito Suplex at 8:30. B-Boy nailed a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron, and Reefer fell to the floor. B-Boy then took a hit from the joint. In the ring, B-Boy nailed the running dropkick in the corner for a nearfall at 10:00.
They traded forearm shots in the middle of the ring. Reefer hit a lungblower to the chest, and they were both down. Reefer applied a crossface. Reefer got a door from under the ring. He hit a stunner. B-Boy put Reefer on his shoulders and slammed him through the door set up in the corner. B-Boy then nailed a brainbuster suplex for the pin. Good match. JCW 4, LAF 3.
8. Dark Sheik defeated Charles Mason at 15:30. Series tied, 4-4. I don’t know Mason. He wore a black suit to the ring; he has short hair and makes me think of a dark, ominous messiah character, like Killer Kross. Sheik is insanely over and she’s the babyface. She hit a stunner in opening seconds of the match, then a top-rope cross-body block. She hit some chops; Mason laughed, and unbuttoned a couple of his buttons so she could chop his chest.
Sheik a top-rope legdrop for a nearfall at 3:30. She hit a springboard legdrop. Mason hit a DDT in the ropes, and he took over control. They brawled on the floor, and Mason choked her with a cord. At 6:00, the LA Fights roster walked to ringside, clearly coming out to cheer In the ring, Sheik on! Mason hit a high back suplex for a nearfall. The JCW roster now walked to ringside, and this has the feel of a lumberjack match now. All the wrestlers were on their knees to not block the ring action.
Sheik hit a spin kick to the face. She went to the top rope, but Mason pushed the ref into her at 10:00. Mason hit a top-rope double stomp to her back. Mason got a plastic bag and put it over her face. She hit a low blow punch and got a nearfall. Mason nailed a tombstone piledriver onto an open chair in the ring for a believable nearfall. Mason again choked Sheik with a cord. He threw the cord over a beam in the rafters, and he lifted her, almost hanging her. Suddenly, everyone from ringside is in the ring, beating on Mason! They left the ring, allowing Dark Sheik to hit a Michinoku Driver for the pin. The crowd loved this.
Everyone was in the ring, and it looks like there is going to be a show of respect. B-Boy and Reefer shook hands, but then Reefer hit a cutter, and everyone brawled as the show went off the air. Not much of a surprise in the outcome of the final match, as this tied the series, and Sheik is popular, especially on the West Coast.
The series ended in a 4-4 tie.
Final Thoughts: This is my final show from the WrestleMania weekend, and unfortunately, this was the weakest of the dozen I saw. Most of these guys are young and raw and trying hard to improve. They just lack the polish of the top tier of indy workers out there.
I enjoyed the Mathers-Wayne match and give it best of show, even with some clunky spots. Reefer and B-Boy was smooth, presumably from familiarity and of course, those are seasoned vets.
Blackwood is a much, much better worker than Radrick; it’s clear Blackwood took the loss here so we’d have a tie at the end of the series. This event clocked in at just over two hours.
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