By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Defy Wrestling “Wild Ones”
Streamed on Pluto TV
April 30, 2022 from Seattle, Washington at Washington Hall
This was a huge, free show for this promotion, and an intriguing use for this channel.
This venue was packed with perhaps 600 fans with many sitting in the second deck. Defy Wrestling announced this as a sellout and that certainly appeared to be the case. It appears to be well lit. Rich Bocchini and Colt Cabana provided commentary. The signal cut out a few times early.
1. Adam Brooks, Nick Wayne, and Swerve Strickland defeated Christopher Daniels and “Midnight Heat” Ricky Gibson and Eddie Pearl at 19:29. Swerve and 17-year-old Wayne had a huge fight here recently and clearly aren’t getting along. The crowd was hot at the start as Brooks and Wayne squared off with the members of Midnight Heat. Daniels and Swerve stood nose to nose at 3:00 and the crowd went nuts, but Daniels tagged out before a punch was thrown. The babyfaces took turns working over Daniels. Swerve and Wayne jawed at each other briefly, then the babyfaces hit simultaneous dives to the floor on the heels at 8:00.
The signal was briefly lost but returned. Daniels was beating on Wayne and the crowd booed. Daniels hit his Flatliner and applied the Koji Clutch at 12:30; Brooks wanted to break up the move but Swerve wouldn’t let him. Brooks got in and briefly beat up the heels, but he missed a Swanton Bomb. Swerve hit a huracanrana on Daniels at 15:30.
Swerve set up for a finisher but Wayne tagged himself in, and Swerve was livid. They all fought in the ring. Wayne and Brooks hit a Spanish Fly out of the corner on a manager. Daniels hit a mule kick low blow on Wayne, then the Angels Wings for a nearfall, but Swerve made the save at 19:00. Wayne got a rolllup on Daniels for the surprising pin. Swerve and Wayne continued to argue after the match. Really good opening match.
2. Big Damo defeated Kevin Blackwood at 8:02. Blackwood replaced Brody King; that’s too bad, as King-Damo would be quite a hoss fight. Damo is much taller and heavier than Blackwood. Blackwood tried to get Damo off his feet, but he wouldn’t go down. They brawled to the floor. In the ring, Blackwood hit some yes kicks, but it just annoyed Damo. Damo nailed a flying crossbody block at 3:00.
Blackwood hit a German suplex and a spin kick to the head for a nearfall. He tried to get Damo on his back but Damo was just too big. Damo hit a Rock Bottom and a senton splash for a nearfall at 6:00. Blackwood hit a double stomp to the chest, got up Damo and hit a modified Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Damo nailed a clothesline but only got a one-count. Damo hit a Vader Bomb for the pin. They shook hands afterward, and the crowd popped. Good, nonstop action.
3. Danika Della Rouge defeated Kikyo to retain the Defy Women’s title at 7:44. Kikyo is a bit bigger in size than Doudrop. Danika charged at the bell and they immediately brawled. Kikyo hit a suplex on the floor and the crowd popped. Danika slammed Kikyo’s leg against the ring post. They brawled mid-ring and Kikyo hit a Spinebuster for a nearfall at 4:30. Danika did the Eddie spot, tossing her belt at Kikyo then falling to the mat; Kikyo also fell to the mat. Kikyo hit a Stinger Splash then a running buttsplash into the corner, and she got a nearfall at 7:00. However, moments later, Danika got a rollup with her feet on the ropes for leverage for the pin. Adquate action; both tried hard.
4. Schaff defeated Timothy Thatcher at 12:31. Schaff won his match Friday at AAW in the Chicago area; he has the size look/muscle mass as Jake Something, and he is wrestling in blue jeans. They traded mid-ring forearms. Thatcher tied him up on the mat. Schaff hit a suplex. Thatcher hit a headbutt and a European uppercut, and he tossed Schaff to the floor at 5:30. Thatcher tied him up in a pretzel on the mat. Schaff escaped the hold and hit some punches. He hit a German release suplex at 12:00. He hit a stunner and scored the pin. This was stiff, believable action.
5. Steve Migs (w/Ethan HD) defeated El Phantasmo at 12:44. Migs is covered in tattoos, and bald. ELP wore his Bullet Club gear. ELP did a strut early and got booed. They traded stiff forearms. They brawled to the floor and ELP slammed him into the ring post at 3:00. In the ring, ELP did his fancy jumps on the ropes, and raked the back, then he stood on Migs’ crotch in the corner.
Migs fired back with a bulldog for a nearfall at 7:00 and a jumping DDT for a nearfall. Phantasmo hit a frogsplash. Migs got a chair. Ethan hopped in the ring and revealed he was wearing a Bullet Club shirt. He hit Migs. ELP set up for a move from the corner. However, Migs then ripped apart the Bullet Club shirt, and he helped Migs toss ELP onto two open chairs. Migs then hit an STO uranage for the pin. Adequate.
6. The Bollywood Boys defeated Cody Chhun and Guillermo Rosas to retain the Defy Tag Team Titles at 17:16. The Bollywood Boys danced to the ring and got quite a pop; this was my first time seeing them since their WWE release. Somehow the audio was ahead of the picture. Chhun and Rosas dominated early. The Boys worked over Rosas. Chhun made the hot tag at 12:30 and beat up on both Boys. Chhun hit a second-rope stunner for a nearfall.
The faces put the Boys in anklelocks. The Boys escaped and applied Sharpshooters, and Chhun and Rosas tapped out. They all hugged after. Passable action.
(We briefly lost the screen, and when it returned, audio and picture were on the same page.)
7. Jon Moxley defeated Tom Lawlor at 20:17. Moxley wore his Blackpool Combat Club sweatshirt to the ring and got a massive pop. Lawlor tied him up on the mat. They traded hard chops. They fought to the floor at 5:30. Moxley is bleeding from the forehead. In the ring, Lawlor hit Yes Kicks to the chest. Lawlor bit at the cut, and the crowd chanted “You sick F–!”
Moxley hit some stomps to the face. Lawlor applied a Dragon Sleeper, and Moxley was bleeding heavily. Moxley hit a suplex to escape at 10:00. They traded more stiff forearms. Moxley hit a stunner, then he clotheslined Lawlor over the top rope to the floor. Moxley set up for a dive, but Lawlor cut him off. They brawled more on the floor. We lost the signal from the building. UGH. Luckily it was back in 30 seconds.
Moxley applied a key lock. Lawlor has blood all over his face now. They traded more stiff forearms and Lawlor hit an enzuigri at 14:30. Moxley hit a German Suplex and a piledriver for a believable nearfall. Lawlor applied a Triangle Choke. The crowd is loud, alternating chants for both guys. They traded hard slaps and both guys were down. Lawlor is really bloody now. They traded headbutts. Moxley bit at the cut. Lawlor hit an Exploder Suplex for a nearfall at 18:30. Lawlor hit a V-Trigger to the chest, and he applied a sleeper.
Moxley hit his doublearm DDT for a nearfall. Moxley nailed a running kick to the chest, then a brainbuster for the pin. That was a really, really good match. The level of blood loss will turn some people off. Moxley spoke on the mic briefly to close out the show, but it was hard to comprehend.
Final Thoughts: This was a fun show, but furthermore, it was an intriguing idea of having a live indy show on free TV. Anyone who has an internet connection can watch the Pluto TV channels. Yes, they lost the signal a few times, but it didn’t hurt the quality of the show. The event wrapped up in just under three hours.
Moxley vs. Lawlor was fantastic and easily best of the show. The six-man tag opener was really good and earned second best, with Schaff vs. Thatcher third best.
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