By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Warrior Wrestling 23 on FITE TV
June 18, 2022 in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Deltaplex Arena
Report by Dot Net contributor Chris Vetter
Rich Bocchini and Veda Scott called the action. The venue appeared to be on par with a large high school gym, with rows of bleachers in the background. The ring was well lit, but the crowd was in shadows, making it hard to gauge the crowd size.
The show was built around a three-tier match unique to Warrior Wrestling dubbed “The War of Attrition.” There are two four-man teams. The losing team is eliminated, while the winning team is turned into two tag teams. The winning team will then immediately face each other in a singles match. Matt Cardona was slated to be one of the eight competitors in the match. With his arm injury, the winner of Brian Cage vs. KC Navarro will take Cardona’s slot. Also, Davey Richards missed the show, so Sam Adonis is taking his slot. On to the action!
1. Brian Cage defeated KC Navarro to qualify for the War of Attrition match at 10:06. I said this recently, but heel Navarro is indistinguishable from heel Ace Austin. Cage had a massive size advantage. KC opened with a shoulder tackle attempt and KC crashing to the mat. KC dove through the ropes, but Cage caught him and slammed him on the ring apron. Cage caved in KC’s chest with hard chops before giving KC a gorilla press back into the ring at 3:00. Cage continued to no-sell all of Navarro’s offense.
Cage did arm curls with Navarro in his arms. However, KC hit a tornado DDT, and they were both down at 5:00. KC hit some spin kicks. Cage hit a 619!! KC hit a stunner and a top-rope frogsplash for a nearfall at 7:00. Cage nailed a pump-handle faceplant slam for a nearfall. KC hit a powerbomb out of the corner. Cage hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall; arrogant cover and maybe he wins if he hooks the leg. KC hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall at 9:30. Cage nailed a Buckle Bomb, and immediately hit the Drill Claw sit-out powerbomb for the pin. Good match.
* Navarro refused a post-match handshake, and I predict he attempts to interfere in the main event.
2. Chelsea Green defeated Tootie Lynn at 8:08. Lynn has appeared on a lot of NWA TV lately. Chelsea got on the mic and complained about being in the second match, not the main event. They opened with standing reversals, and Tootie hit a huracanrana. Tootie hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor on Chelsea. However, Chelesa dropped Tootie face-first on the ring apron at 2:30. Chelsea took over in the ring, and she hit a Stomp in the corner for a nearfall.
They hit simultaneous Mafia Kicks and both were down at 5:30. Tootie hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Chelsea hit a faceplant move for a nearfall, but the referee stopped counting when he saw she had the tights. Tootie accidentally superkicked the referee! Tootie applied a Fujiwara Armbar and Chelsea tapped out, but we didn’t have a referee. Chelsea hit the Unprettier faceplant, and the referee recovered to count the pin. Exactly what you would expect here.
3. “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini defeated Dante Leon and Myron Reed at 12:20. Ku is coming off an impressive showing earlier this month at Deadlock Pro in North Carolina. Myron carried his MLW middleweight title to the ring. Ku and Dante opened with armbars and reversals. Dante dove through the ropes onto both heels, then Myron dove over the top rope onto them at 2:00. In the ring, Leon hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall on Garrini. The faces worked over Garrini’s left arm.
The heels began working over Leon, with Ku hitting a dragon screw leg whip at 6:00, then tying up the legs. Garrini hit a belly-to-back suplex. Reed made the hot tag at 8:00 and he hit a stunner on Ku and a Helluva Kick. Reed put Ku’s feet on the top rope and hit a faceplant for a nearfall. Dante hit a Swanton Bomb to break up a pin attempt, and everyone was down at 9:30.
All four brawled in the ring. Reed dove through the ropes and crashed hard onto Ku. In the ring, Leon tried a moonsault that looked terrible, and Garrini caught him and applied a sleeper. However, Reed hit a Swanton Bomb to break up the move. Ku gave Leon a powerbomb and Garrini immediately applied a sleeper hold, until the ref called for the bell. Another match that was “exactly what you’d expect.” All four shook hands afterward.
4. Sam Adonis defeated Rey Leon to retain the Warrior Wrestling Lucha Title at 11:46. Leon came out with an animal pelt robe and headdress; his mask looks like one worn by Rey Mysterio. He appears to be as short as Mysterio, too. Adonis has wrestled in NWA as El Rudo, and he competes extensively in Mexico. Rey hit several huracanranas, then a flip dive to the floor at 3:30. Adonis hit a flip dive through the ropes and he crashed awkwardly. He stood up and had a cut near the top of the back of his head, and it started to trickle down the back of his head and onto his neck.
They got in the ring, and Veda appraised his resiliency for continuing the match. Just like WWE, the ref is now wearing black gloves. Adonis went to walk the ropes, but Rey yanked him to the mat and got a nearfall at 7:00. Adonis hit a DDT onto the ring apron. Rey hit a dive through the ropes, and they were both down on the floor at 9:00. In the ring, Adonis hit a Buckle Bomb and a bodyslam for a nearfall. Leon hit a Frankensteiner out of the corner, and they were both down. Adonis hit a top-rope 450 Splash for the pin. Really good match, but the finish seemed to come suddenly.
* Frank the Clown hopped in the ring. I hate everything about his gimmick and I don’t understand why Warrior Wrestling uses him. The ring was filled with balloons, a pinata, and they had a cake. Frank said this is a celebration to say goodbye to Athena, because he vowed this would be her last match here.
5. Athena defeated AQA to retain the Warrior Wresting Women’s Title at 12:28. Where has AQA been? I know AEW has a huge roster, but we haven’t seen her on Dark or Elevation, either. Frank and Trevor Outlaw remained at ringside, and Outlaw hit Athena from behind. AQA attacked immediately. Athena hit an enzuigiri at 2:00. AQA worked over the left arm. They traded forearm shots, with Athena getting more of them in. Athena hit a roaring forearm for a nearfall at 6:00. Outlaw and Frank riled up the crowd, but they weren’t really helping AQA cheat, either.
AQA fired back with a pop-up DDT for a nearfall. Athena tied AQA upside down in the corner and hit a series of punt kicks to AQA’s back. Athena hit a standing powerbomb onto a pinata. AQA hit a crucifix slam for a nearfall at 11:00. They continued to brawl, and Athena hit a stunner out of the corner for the pin. Solid match. AQA rolled to the floor and hit Outlaw, then Frank. Continuing wrestling’s long-standing tradition with cakes, they slammed Outlaw face-first into the cake.
* Each entrant came out separately for the main event. We still don’t know the teams at this point, and the announcers talked about the importance of the luck of the draw. This is a star-studded eight-man tag!
6a) Swerve Strickland & Jake Something & Brian Pillman Jr. & Will Ospreay defeated Jeff Cobb & Lance Archer & Brian Cage & Sam Adonis at 15:14. Cobb wore his IWGP Tag Title belt over his shoulder. Adonis replaced Davey Richards. Ospreay came out last and had both the Warrior Wrestling title and the Rev Pro title. Ospreay reacted in anger when his name was announced last for his team, meaning that he would not be on the same team as Cobb. Cage and Ospreay started, with Cage overpowering him. Cobb tagged in and pretended like he was going to hit Ospreay, but then he backed off.
Cobb hit his Spin Cycle slam on Swerve. Archer entered and leveled Swerve with a clothesline at 3:30. Cobb stood on Swerve’s back and did his surfboard motion. Ospreay began working over Adonis’ left leg, and he applied a Figure Four leg lock at 6:00. Swerve applied a one-legged crab on Adonis. Jake and Adonis traded chops. Archer tagged in at 9:30 and stood toe-to-toe with Archer, and they traded hard forearms. Ospreay entered and he hit Archer (they will team on Wednesday!). Archer hit a flying crossbody block on two opponents at 10:30.
Cobb and Pillman traded offense, with Cobb hitting a Samoan Drop. Ospreay broke up a pinfall attempt and Cobb and Ospreay exchanged words. Pillman dropkicked Adonis to the floor. Archer gave Pillman a chokeslam. Jake hit a sit-out slam on Archer. Cobb hit a standing moonsault. Swerve hit his faceplant on Cobb. Cage hit Swerve with a Death Valley Driver, then he hit a faceplant on Osspreay. Cage flipped over the top rope onto everyone brawling on the floor at 14:30. This has been nuts. Adonis hit a springboard moonsaullt onto everyone. In the ring, Pillman caught Adonis with an inside cradle for the pin out of nowhere. I fully expected Ospreay’s team to win at least the first match.
6b) Will Ospreay & Brian Pillman Jr. defeated Jake Something & Swerve Scott at 6:09. As the person who secured the pin, Pillman opted to select Ospreay as his partner. Swerve and Jake each hit dives to the floor. In the ring, Jake hit a sitdown powerbomb on Ospreay for a nearfall. Ospreay hit a spin kick to Swerve’s head. Swerve hit a huracanrana, then his jumping kick to the back of Ospreay’s head for a nearfall at 3:00. Ospreay hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly, and they were both down.
Jake entered and he nailed a spear in the corner on Pillman. Swerve hit his second-rope double stomp onto Pillman’s shoulders for a nearfall at 5:00, and the crowd was chanting, “This is awesome!” Ospreay and Pillman hit superkicks on Jake. Pillman hit a Michinoku Driver on Jake. However, Ospreay hit a Hidden Blade/running elbow shot to the back of Pillman’s head (his own teammate!!!) and Ospreay pinned Jake.
6c) KC Navarro defeated Will Ospreay and Brian Pillman Jr. to win the Warrior Wrestling title at 10:53. Ospreay shoved Jake out of the ring and immediately tried to pin the injured Pillman. Ospreay got a table from under the ring. They traded chops on the ring apron, and Pillman hit a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron. In the ring, Pillman hit a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall at 3:00. Ospreay went for the OsCutter, but Pillman blocked it. Pillman hit a Michinoku Driver move for a believable nearfall. Ospreay hit the OsCutter for a believable nearfall. Suddenly, KC Navarro hopped on the ropes, and he shoved Ospreay from the top turnbuckle, through the table on the floor.
Navarro gave his #1 contender’s medallion to the ref at 5:30, cashing it in, so this is now a three-way. He got a nearfall on Pillman. Ospreay was still out on the floor. Navarro hit a low blow kick on PIllman, then a stunner, for a believable nearfall. Pillman hit a Michinoku Driver move for another nearfall, but Ospreay leapt into the ring and hit another Hidden Blade to break up the pin at 8:30. Ospreay went for a Hidden Blade, but KC hit Ospreay with the medallion, and he got a nearfall.
Cage ran into the ring at 10:00, pretended like he was going to hit KC, but instead, he nailed a hard clothesline on Pillman! Cage hit the Drill Claw on Ospreay. The announcers reiterated that Cage is no longer in this match. Navarro hit a swinging neckbreaker to pin Pillman, to win the title. Cage and Navarro hugged, so they apparently are back on the same page.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed (6a), the first portion of the War of Attrition, and that earns best match of the show. The final leg left me cold, with a cash-in and all the interference, and Cage teaming up again with Navarro. KC is a fine wrestler, but he’s not in the top-tier, so I don’t like him as champion, either. This show ran about two-and-a-half hours.
Warrior Wrestling is returning to action next Sunday with a matinee show at Malcolm X College in a building a block from the United Center in Chicago. I am sure they’ll have a great crowd from fans who are already in town to see AEW’s Open Door.
If you are unfamiliar with Warrior Wrestling, they literally have dozens of their best matches available for free on their YouTube page. In recent weeks, they posted a different War of Attrition match.
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