By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Prestige Wrestling “Roseland 4: Wake the Dead”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
October 30, 2022 in Portland, Oregon at the Roseland Theater
The show features three of the Dragon Gate wrestlers who are currently touring the United States. Brian Zayne and Jordan Castle provided commentary; they had some audio issues early on but got them straightened out. I really like Castle’s enthusiasm and call of the action. The ring was well-lit and the crowd was packed with perhaps 500 or so in attendance (Note: during the main event, Zayne said there are nearly 1,000 people here).
1. “American Wolves” Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards defeated “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garinni at 18:07. Wow, this is a hot match to open with. Richards and Garinni started, but Richards refused a handshake and got booed. Ku entered; he recently cut off his dreadlocks and is barely recognizable from just a few weeks ago. Ku and Edwards traded hard chops at 3:30.
They brawled on the floor and the crowd was hot. Back in the ring, the Wolves worked over Garinni, with Richards applying a Noble-style Trailer Hitch at 9:30. Ku made the hot tag and hit never-ending clotheslines on each of the Wolves and a spinning Death Valley Driver on Edwards for a nearfall at 12:00. Richards tied Garinni in an ankelock.
Richards nailed a German Suplex on Ku. Edwards applied a half-crab on Ku, so Garinni applied one on Richards. Richards and Garinni traded hard openhand slaps, and Garinni nailed a piledriver for a nearfall, but Edwards made the save at 17:00. Edwards hit a Backpack Stunner, and Richards followed with a top-rope doublestomp to Ku’s chest for a believable nearfall. Richards applied an anklelock, and Ku tapped out, while Edwards kept Garinni at bey.
2. Alan Angels defeated Nick Wayne at 8:46. Angels was loudly booed and is the heel here. Massive pop for Wayne, of course. They immediately traded forearm shots. Angels hit a northern lights suplex for a nearfall at 4:00, and he was in control. Angels nailed a spinning lariat for a nearfall at 6:00. Wayne hit a big Mafia Kick, but Angels immediately hit an enziguri and a half-nelson suplex. Angels went for a lionsault press, but Wayne caught him with a superkick! Wayne hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall.
Wayne went for a cloud cutter, but Angels caught him and applied an STF on the mat, and the crowd was hot as Wayne battled to escape. Angels nailed a low blow mule kick when the ref was out of position, then a Cloud Cutter (Wayne’s finisher!) and the crowd loudly booed. Angels made the cover for the pin. Good action, and I have enjoyed Angels’ post-AEW heel run.
3. Amira defeated Sumie Sakai at 5:39. My first time seeing Amira, who has long brown hair (think Deonna Purrazzo in looks and size) and she is replacing Killer Kelly in this match. The announcers said Amira has been wrestling for three months, so obviously, this is a big match for her early in her career. Sakai backed her into the ropes and hit a forearm shot, and the crowd booed her.
Amira hit a Stinger Splash, and a so-so Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 2:00. Sakai applied a Boston Crab and sat down for pressure. Amira hit a sideslam for the pin. She didn’t expect that. The commentators wondered if Sumie got her “bell rung” during the finish and that’s why she didn’t kick out. Sumie shook her hand then kissed her on the mouth, which popped the crowd.
4. Kevin Blackwood defeated SB Kento at 12:27. Kento is one of the Dragon Gate wrestlers touring the U.S., and I have compared his blond hair to Kazuchika Okada’s look. Blackwood is so good and wrestles a stiff style, and his short hair is a bright pink/purple here. They immediately traded intense mat reversals. They went to the floor and traded stiff, stiff forearm shots in front of the fans at 3:30. They got in the ring and continued trading forearm shots, and the crowd was loving these hard blows.
Blackwood hit a stiff kick to the back as Kento was seated on the mat at 7:00, and Kento invited him to hit a few more. They went back to trading chops. (I am hating the rapid camera cuts. Just leave one camera to show the action!) Kento nailed a spinebuster at 10:00 and immediately applied a Sharpshooter. Blackwood escaped and applied his own Sharpshooter, but Kento reached the ropes at 11:30. Blackwood nailed a brainbuster for a nearfall, then a top-rope double stomp onto Kento’s collarbone as Kento was standing, to score the pin. That was a great hard-hitting match. The crowd chanted, “That was awesome!”
5. Komander defeated La Estrella at 10:16. Esrella is a masked wrestler from Dragon Gate, and I’ve noted this before, but he must be 5’2″ or 5’3.” Komander just came off a great showing at AAA’s Triplemania and he’s a star. The crowd chanted “lucha libre!” before the bell. They did quick reversals with Komander doing multiple backflips and landing in a “superhero pose,” and they got a nice pop. Estrella hit a top-rope dive to the floor at 4:00. In the ring, Komander snapped off a headscissors takedown. Estrella leapt off the top rope, but Komander caught him with a stunner for a nearfall.
Komander went for a top-rope moonsault, but Estrella got his legs up to block it. Estrella hit his sliding German Suplex at 7:00. He hit a top-rope moonsault for a nearfall. Komander went for a Shooting Star Press, but Estrella got his knees up. Komander hit a Canadian Destroyer, then he walked the ropes and hit a springboard Shooting Star Press for the pin. That was fun, and exactly what you’d expect here.
* A door, covered in mousetraps, was brought to the ring and set in a corner, as we are headed toward a death match… and apparently featuring someone from Jackass.
6. Danger Ehren defeated Drexl in a death match at 18:36. Showing my age, Drexl’s look reminds me of WWF’s Damien Demento. I have literally never seen a second of Jackass, so I have no idea who Danger Ehren is. Ehren came to the ring using crutches, trying to get out of the match, and he claimed he was attacked by a bear. Drexl attacked him and the match got underway. Drexl hit him with a crutch and used a staple gun to attach paper to Ehren’s head.
Drexl got a box of light tubes. A large box was pushed in the ring, and Drexl’s nemesis, Akira, hopped out of it! I wouldn’t have guessed a human could have fit in it. Akira attacked Drexl with a light tube. Akira and Ehren worked over Drexl together. They used barbed wire and doors… and this is a dull extended beatdown. Drexl and Akira did a superplex spot off the top rope onto a barbed-wire-covered trampoline set up on the floor. Yep, they got up and both had plenty of cuts on their back. This isn’t my idea of fun. In the ring, Akira speared Ehren through the mouse-trap board for a nearfall, but he pulled Ehren up. Akira slammed Drexl onto a pile of light tubes, and Ehren made the cover for the pin. Yuck.
* Intermission to clean up that mess.
7. “C4” Cody Chhun and Guillermo Rosas defeated “West Coast Wrecking Crew” Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson at 13:41. Of course, the WCWC have wrestled a lot in New Japan Strong this year, and C4 are a top tag team in the Pacific Northwest. Royce and Chhun started. Chhun hit some deep armdrags and a dropkick on Jorel. Rosas entered and hit a snap suplex on Jorel. All four brawled on the floor at 4:30.
Back in the ring, the WCWC worked over Rosas. Chhun made the hot tag and hit a Stinger Splash on Royce, then a DDT for a nearfall at 7:00. Royce hit a second-rope superplex on Rosas. Jorel nailed a spear on Chhun. Jorel nailed a top-rope crossbody block on Chhun and hit a sideslam for a nearfall at 10:00. The WCWC hit their team German Suplex move for a nearfall. Jorel and Chhun began trading mid-ring chops. Royce hit a Death Valley Driver. Rosas made the hot tag. C4 hit their high/low kick combo and Rosas pinned Jorel. Good match.
8. Sonico defeated Black Taurus at 12:09. I have said this before; Sonico has a generic white lucha mask. Quick lucha action and a standoff, as the commentators praise Taurus for being so agile. Sonico offered a handshake, but Taurus sneezed on the hand. Yuck. Sonico leapt off the ropes and landed awkwardly and grabbed his right knee. Of course, Taurus began targeting the damaged knee. Sonico nailed a flip dive through the ropes at 6:00; there is almost no room on the floor because the fans are packed in here.
In the ring, Sonico hit a Canadian Destroyer and a tornado DDT for a nearfall. Taurus fired back with a pop-up Samoan Drop for a nearfall at 7:30. Sonico tried to hit a hurancanrana on the floor, but Taurus threw him into a row of chairs. An awkward exchange as Sonico slipped on the ropes, but he still somehow turned it into a tornado DDT onto the floor.
Back in the ring, Sonico hit a crossbody block, but he was selling the pain in his knee. Taurus hit a pair of backbreakers over his knee and a clothesline for a believable nearfall at 11:00. Sonico hit a step-up enziguri as Taurus was on the top rope. Sonico nailed a top-rope Frankensteiner, then a jumping DDT for the pin. Good match; Sonico had some missed spots but Taurus is so good, and they made it work.
9. Jungle Kyona defeated Deonna Purrazzo at 7:56. Great pop from the fans, and they opened with really good mat reversals, and Deonna was in control early. Kyona hit a suplex and a kick to the back of the head, then applied a headscissorslock at 4:00. Deonna went for the Fujiwara Armbar. They traded forearm shots while battling on the top rope. They went back to the mat, where Deonna went back to the Fujiwara Armbar, but Kyona reached the ropes at 6:30. Kyona hit her Musclebuster, but she drops straight down, and it looks so much more devastating than the way Samoa Joe hits it, with an opponent landing on the back. That move scored her the pin.
10. Alex Shelley defeated Yamato to retain the Prestige Heavyweight Title at 18:00. Again, Yamato is the Dragon Gate wrestler who reminds me of Shinsuke Nakamura in facial features and hair style. The commentators talked about how Shelley (and Chris Sabin) just won the New Japan Strong tag titles two days ago in New York. This is a first-time-ever matchup and the crowd chanted “both these guys!” before they even locked up. Standing reversals to start. Shelley nailed a kneedrop on Yamato’s left arm at 3:30 and began working it over, and he had him tied up on the mat.
Yamato hit a stomp to the chest and started taking control of the offense. Yamato applied a Figure Four Leglock at 9:00. They got up and began trading stiff forearm shots, but Yamato kicked out the left knee and Shelley collapsed, selling the pain. Shelley hit a Flatliner into the middle turnbuckle at 12:00. Yamato worked the ankle. Shelley hit a dragon screw leg whip, and they were both down.
They traded mid-ring chops, and Shelley hit another dragon screw leg whip, and he applied a Border City Stretch at 16:30. However, Yamato rolled him over and got a nearfall. Shelley hit his Shell-shock spinning faceplant, then he applied the Border City Stretch again, and Yamato tapped out.
Final Thoughts: Flip a coin on which match was better, the first or the last. I’ll go with Shelley-Yamato just because it’s a first-time ever meeting and the crowd treated it like such a big deal. It is crazy to think about how some of these independent wrestlers zigzagged the country over the weekend, with shows on both coasts. So, Wolves-ViForever earns second-best, and that was hard-hitting and fun. Edwards and Richards get to just occasionally team up now, but they haven’t missed a beat.
I really enjoyed the hard-hitting Kento-Blackwood match and that earns third-best, just ahead of the Komander-Estrella lucha action, which gets the honorable mention.
Purrazzo-Kyona was good but not an epic great match; I wish they had been given 12-17 minutes to really show what they can do. They did great, but I came away underwhelmed because I wanted more.
A few years ago in a post-show party, an indy wrestler informed me he learned he was winning the title, in the ring, seconds before the finish. It was a surprise to him. That story went through my head as I watched the finish of Sumie Sakai vs. the new Amira. I could be wrong here, but I feel like she genuinely looked surprised she had won this match; I think she expected Sumie to kick out, and Sumie just laid there and got pinned. I think it was a nice surprise for the recent trainee. And of course, at this point in her career, a loss doesn’t hurt a pro like Sumie.
The show clocked in at about three-and-a-quarter hours.
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