By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Black Label Pro: “Slamilton Show Two”
Streamed on Fite.TV
November 12, 2022 in Crown Point, Indiana at RDS Gym
Black Label Pro held “Slamilton,” which featured 24 announced matches over two shows. This is the review of the evening show, which started at 7:30 p.m. CST. My review of the first show is available via the main page. Percy Davis and Jason Midas provided commentary. This is a small gym, and the crowd is maybe 200; it is not notably larger or smaller than the afternoon show.
Note: This show is on Fite+ so I’m sure a lot of people are checking out Black Label Pro for the very first time as part of their subscription.
* Billie Starkz walked out, holding the BLP heavyweight title. This teenage girl defeated a knocked-out Calvin Tankman maybe three hours ago to win the title. The commentary has a terrible echo; hopefully that is fixed quickly.
1. Billie Starkz defeated Zoey Lucas at 7:09. I’ve never seen Zoey, who is of average height and build. Wikipedia says she is from England and is 30. Starkz attacked her before the bell and the crowd booed her. Zoey hit a crossbody block for a nearfall. Sound is fixed.Lucas hit a Facewash in the corner and an X-Factor Faceplant for a nearfall at 5:00. They traded forearm shots. Starkz nailed a Gory Bomb and a top-rope Swanton Bomb for a believable nearfall. Starkz grabbed her title belt and struck Zoey in the face while the ref was out of position, to score the pin. Fairly basic.
2. Dan the Dad defeated Swoggle at 5:52. Huge pop for the former Hornswaggle; this definitely will be all comedy. They jawed at each other, but without a mic, so I couldn’t tell what they were saying. Dan tackled him and hit punches to the face and the crowd was shocked! He apologized and tried to cool off, and put his glasses back on. Of course, Swoggle bit the butt. Swoggle’s son got on the ring and hit a huracanrana on Dan. Swoggle chokeslammed Dan for a nearfall at 5:00. Dan hit a Mafia Kick to the face. Dan applied a Figure Four, and Swoggle tapped out. The kids in the crowd liked it.
3. Megabyte Ronnie and Zack Hannigan defeated Adam Slade and Bradley Prescott at 7:41. I saw these four guys on a BLP show a couple weeks ago. Slade and Prescott drank beers on the way to the ring. Hannigan is the guy who looks exactly like Lenny Lane. Slade and Prescott spit beer in their opponents’ eyes to start the match. I’ll be blunt — these guys just aren’t good. Ronnie worked over Slade. They did some gay humor that fell flat. Prescott hit a flip dive off the apron onto both opponents. Ronnie and Hannigan hit a team move for the pin. Just ugly.
4. Jake Something defeated Masha Slamovich in an intergender match at 10:48. I just don’t get matches like this. Jake is so massive, I just can’t suspend my disbelief here. Standing switches to start and Jake got the best of a test of strength. He hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall at 3:30. Masha fired back with an axe kick to the back of the head, then a spin kick for a nearfall. She hit a missile dropkick for a nearfall at 6:30. She hit a knee strike in the corner and a clothesline that dropped him, but she only got a one-count.
Masha hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and slammed her on the mat, then he hit a powerbomb for a believable nearfall. He hit another clothesline for a nearfall. Masha picked him up and hit a piledriver with Jake on her back for a nearfall. She hit a spinning backfist and charged at him. However, Jake hit a Boss Man Slam to plant her and pin her. The crowd was into it.
5. Tom Lawlor defeated Kevin Knight at 13:26. Knight is the standout from the NJPW LA Dojo. He was supposed to face Brogan Finlay, who canceled. Lawlor wrestled in the main event maybe two hours earlier, which the commentators acknowledged. They immediately traded stiff forearms, and the crowd is into this. They switched to loud overhand chops. Knight hit a stellar dropkick on Lawlor as Tom was seated on the top turnbuckle, and Lawlor crashed to the floor at 4:00.
They traded more blows in front of the fans. Knight tripped on a cord and yelled at fans. Knight hit a plancha to the floor. In the ring, Knight hit a diving forearm shot for a nearfall at 6:30. Knight hit another stellar mid-ring dropkick for a nearfall. The sound went out; when it came back on, we briefly didn’t have commentary. Lawlor hit a Helluva Kick in the corner at 10:00.
Lawlor performed a piledriver for a believable nearfall. Knight nailed a jumping DDT, then a top-rope superplex for a believable nearfall. Knight hit a top-rope frogsplash for a nearfall, and he applied a Boston Crab. at 12:30. However, Lawlor applied a rear-naked choke, and Knight eventually tapped out. These guys brought it; this was far better than Lawlor’s headliner match on the afternoon show.
6. Kobe Durst defeated Harlon Abbott at 9:57. I have never seen Abbott, who wore a black full-length jacket right out of Christoper Daniels’ “Fallen Angel” era, and he has long hair in a ponytail with a beard that reminds me of Brodie Lee. His ring gear looks like he stole from NJPW’s EVIL. Also first time seeing Durst, who is blond with basic black trunks. Harlon hit a side slam for a nearfall. Harlon nailed a dive through the ropes at 3:00. In the ring, Durst hit a Frankensteiner. Abbott hit a powerbomb for a nearfall. Durst hit a Fame-Asser legdrop for a nearfall. Harlon hit a nice twisting, release suplex for a nearfall at 5:30, then a reverse moonsault out of the corner for a nearfall.
Harlon hit an impressive 450 Splash for a nearfall. Durst hit a Lungblower and a powerbomb for a nearfall. Durst slammed him into the turnbuckle and got another nearfall. Durst hit a top-rope flying headbutt for a nearfall. Harlon hit an enziguri. They brawled onto the ring apron, where Harlon hit a piledriver, and they both tumbled to the floor at 9:00. Durst barely got in the ring before being counted out. He hit a piledriver for the pin. For two guys I had never heard of before, I came away impressed. They both need to work on selling and pacing, but a lot of positives here.
7. Alan Angels defeated Carlos Romo at 8:50. Romo faced Lawlor in the main event of the afternoon show. Angels is continuing his post-AEW run as a smug heel. Angels attacked at the bell, and they brawled to the floor. Back in the ring, Angels was in control, and he jawed at the ref and at fans. They traded hard chops. Romo hit a leg lariat at 4:30 and was fired up. He hit a shotgun dropkick, then a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall. Romo hit a reverse suplex, dropping Angels stomach-first on the mat.
Angels fired back with a roaring clothesline and regained control of the offense. Romo hit a top-rope moonsault for a nearfall at 7:30. Angels hit a low blow kick and a swinging neckbreaker for the pin. Decent match; I’d love to see Angels circle back to AEW at some point in the future.
8. Joshua Bishop defeated Big Damo to retain the BLP Midwest Title at 12:47. These are two big guys and this should be a ‘hoss fight.’ Bishop is the guy who reminds me of a young Sid Vicious, and of course, Damo was WWE’s Killian Dain. An intense lockup to start. They traded shoulder tackles with neither man budging. Bishop finally dropped him with a flying shoulder tackle at 2:00. They brawled on the floor. Damo hit a running summersault as Bishop was seated on a chair, as they brawled between fans. Bishop accidentally punched the ring post. Back in the ring, Damo took control, and he nailed a running kick to the face.
Damo hit his running crossbody block and a legdrop for a nearfall at 5:00. He nailed a catapult senton and stayed in charge. Damo nailed a shotgun dropkick sending Bishop flying into the corner. Bishop fired back with a second-rope flying clothesline, and they were both down at 8:00. Bishop hit a series of punches. Damo hit a powerbomb and an elbow drop for a nearfall.
In a nice spot, Damo went for another crossbody block, but Bishop caught him, put him on his shoulders, and hit a Death Valley Driver. Damo hit a senton and a Vader Bomb for a believable nearfall at 11:00. Bishop hit a Boss Man Slam for a believable nearfall. They fought in the corner, and Bishop hit a Razor’s Edge overhead powerbomb for the clean pin. That was a very satisfying big-man matchup.
9. Tre Lemar defeated Chase Holiday, Jah-C, and Malik Del Vonte in a four-way at 7:19. Chase has a massive gut and an overall unwashed, hobo look. Lemar has been on AEW Dark several times. Del Vonte wore a purple jacket and pants, giving off a Velveteen Dream vibe. Jah-C is also a Black man of average height and size; I’ve seen a lot of him in Chicago-based AAW. Lemar and Del Vonte traded good,, quick offense. Holiday hit a nice sit-out powerbomb on Jah-C, and Holiday is a powerhouse under that girth. Del Vonte hit a top-rope dive to the floor.
In a nice spot, Jah-C launched off Holiday’s back and hit a flying DDT on Del Vonte for a nearfall. Holiday hit a Samoa Joe-like Musclebuster on Jah-C. Lemar hit a brainbuster on Del Vonte for the pin. That was a fun, fast-paced, sometimes messy, four-way.
10. Isaiah Broner defeated Matthew Justice at 6:18. I am mildly surprised that Justice isn’t competing in the GCW hardcore show occurring at the same time a few hours away from here. Broner is a Black man who wore a football jersey to ringside, and he reminds me of Bad News Brown. Justice hit a plancha as Broner walked to ringside to kickstart the match, and Justice immediately hit him across the back with a chair. Broner hit a suplex onto a pile of folded chairs on the floor. In the ring, Broner hit a German Suplex at 3:00, then a second-rope back suplex for a nearfall. Justice hit a Death Valley Driver into the turnbuckles. Justice leapt off the top rope, but Broner caught him with a hard clothesline to score the surprising pin.
11. Trik Davis defeated Vinny Pacifico at 6:25. This was my first time seeing Pacifico, who is white and a bit shorter than Trik, so I’m guessing he’s 5’6″ or 5’7″. Mat reversals early on. Pacifico hit a clothesline in the corner and an Angle Slam. Trik hit a flying back elbow. Pacifico hit a German Suplex and a shotgun dropkick for a nearfall. He hit a Tower of London stunner from the corner for a believable nearfall at 5:30. Trik hit a kick to the face and a stunner for the pin. I liked what I saw of Pacifico.
12. Kody Lane defeated Dillon McQueen via DQ at 6:28. I noted this the last time I saw him, but Kody Lane is really looking more and more like Juice Robinson, as he wore pink-tinted sunglasses and a vest to ringside. McQueen wore a gown, more than a robe, as he pranced to ringside, as he’s over-the-top flamboyant. Lane attacked before the bell and he hit a senton for a nearfall, and he dominated the offense early on. However, he missed a LIonsault, and they were both down at 3:00.
McQueen hit a Flatliner faceplant and he was fired up. He hit an impressive Widow’s Peak neckbreaker for a nearfall. Lane snapped McQueen’s throat across the top rope and got a nearfall. The ref got bumped. In a new spot for me, Lane trapped McQueen’s leg at the top of his thighs, so when the ref got up, he saw the leg there, and Lane sold it like he had been hit by a low blow. The ref called for the bell. McQueen was so flamboyant coming to ringside, but showed none of that flair once the bell sounded. If you are going to do that gimmick, it needs to be done in the ring, too.
13. “Bang Brothers” Davey Bang and August Matthews defeated “Violence is Forever” Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku to win the BLP Tag Titles at 16:14. August is tall and slender, while Davey Bang is shorter with black hair. ViF hit simultaneous stiff kicks to August’s chest and back. Garrini and August traded hard chops. Bang hit a German Suplex on Garrini. Ku made the hot tag at 6:00, and he hit the never-ending clotheslines in opposite corners on each opponent. Ku hit a nice Tiger Suplex on August.
The Bang Brothers began working over Ku. Garrini entered and hit a series of Kawada Kicks to Bang’s face. Garrini hit a gutbuster over his knees on Bang. All four brawled in the ring. The crowd is red-hot for this action, which is amazing because they’ve seen so many matches this day. Ku hit a Death Valley Driver. Ku caught Bang with a kneestrike to the face, and ViF hit their brainbuster & kick combo for a believable nearfall at 13:30. Bang hit his team spear move on Garrini for a nearfall.
Garrini hit a top-rope superplex, and Ku immediately hit a top-rope doublestomp for a believable nearfall. The Bang Brothers hit their team spear for a third time. August nailed a top-rope 450-Splash to pin Garrini. New champions! Ku got on the mic and told the Bang Brothers they have earned their respect. Ku pointed out that the fans brought the energy after 26 matches.
Final thoughts: I will agree entirely with what Ku was saying — the Bang Brothers brought a great fight and that main event was a top-notch indy match. A crowd that sat through that many matches easily could have been worn out and not cared. But those tag teams made them care, because it was best match of the show. I’ll give Damo-Bishop second-best, and Tom Lawlor-Kevin Knight gets third place.
I will try not to think about whether BLP made money here. Yes, they only had to rent one building for the day, and they had two separate gates. But that is a huge roster of wrestlers to pay from a crowd that wasn’t all that big for either show. I have to believe anyone who watched this as part of their Fite+ subscription liked what they saw.
The evening show lasted three hours, 20 minutes.
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