By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Black Label Pro: “Love Stinks!”
Streamed on Fite.TV
February 18, 2023 in Crown Point, Indiana at RDS Gym
The crowd appears to be in the 70-100 range. This is in a gym; you can see the basketball hoop and scoreboard in the background. Percy Davis provided commentary. BLP did this a few months ago, having an afternoon show and an evening show, with almost no wrestlers pulling double-duty. So, each event has eight slated matches. This is a review of the afternoon show.
1. Dan the Dad vs. Trevor Outlaw (w/The Bang Bros.) at 9:57. Dan wore his baseball cap and carried his mug of coffee to the ring. Outlaw has the long goatee. Comedy early on with Dan tricking Outlaw into running the ropes several times. Outlaw began working over the left knee. Outlaw hit a DDT out of the ropes for a nearfall at 6:00. The Bang Bros tried to interfere. Dan hit a Thesz Press and some punches and he was fired up.
Dan hit his wind-up baseball punch for a believable nearfall at 8:00. Outlaw tried to apply a Figure Four Leglock, but Dan kicked free. Dan dove through the ropes onto the Bang Bros. In the ring, Dan avoided a Curbstomp, and he nailed a Backpack Stunner for the pin. Decent opener. I don’t know when the Bang Bros. became heels, but they work much better as plucky underdog babyfaces. Trevor Outlaw got on the mic and said he was going home and wasn’t sticking around for the Bang Bros. match later. (He was leaving for another wrestling show)
2. Isaiah Moore defeated Trik Davis, La Estrella, and Carlos Romo in a four-way at 7:48. Davis is a 21-year indy vet, and is still as scrawny as the first time I saw him in 2004. Estrella is a short, masked luchador. Moore is a thin Black man. Romo is a good Latino wrestler. Trik and Romo traded good mat reversals. Moore and Estrella entered and they had more fast-paced reversals, with Estrella doing three quick flips. Moore hit a running neckbreaker on Trik at 3:30, then a dive over the top rope on two opponents.
Estrella hit a flip dive to the floor on all three opponents and landed on his feet. In the ring, Estrella hit a handspring-back-elbow on Romo. Moore hit a Mule Kick on Estrella. Trik hit a nice Poison Rana for a nearfall at 5:30. Romo nailed a running knee to Trik’s chest. Romo hit a nice springboard DDT move for a nearfall. Estreilla hit a sunset flip powerbomb. Moore hit a top-rope frogsplash to score the pin. All three of the youngsters show a lot of promise.
3. Aramis defeated Marcus Mathers at 12:45. Aramis wore all green, including his mask. Mathers is a rising indy star; he was in the GCW J Cup tournament last week. Quick reversals out of the gate and a standoff. Aramis applied an anklelock at 3:00. Mathers hit a top-rope crossbody block and a superman punch, then a mule kick to the jaw, then a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall, and he was in control. Aramis hit an enziguri, and they were both down at 6:30. Aramis nailed a half-nelson suplex, then a dive between the ropes to the floor.
In the ring, Mathers dropped him stomach-first for a nearfall, then he hit a Swanton for a nearfall at 8:30. Aramis hit a superplex. Mathers hit a twisting suplex into a corner, and they were both down again. They traded kicks. Aramis hit a tornado DDT to the floor. In the ring, Mathers hit a Helluva Kick and a sit-out powerbomb, but Aramis kicked out at one. Mathers hit a ‘Bozo Buster” slam but only got a nearfall. Aramis hit a top-rope armdrag. He put Mathers in a Torture Rack across his shoulders, spun him down to the mat, and scored the pin. That was a really good match.
4. Kevin Blackwood defeated Trish Adora in an intergender match at 15:51. Blackwood is based on the West Coast, so funny to see him in Ohio on a night where both GCW and New Japan Strong are in California. I’m a big fan of his hard-hitting style. Adora matches him in height, and she’s among the best unsigned female wrestlers on the U.S. indy scene. Kevin immediately went to work on her left arm. Trish applied a headscissorslock. She got several rollups, and she hit a hard chop at 3:00. “A couple of those and the ink of his tattoos will come off,” a commentator said.
Blackwood hit a flying elbow, and he began to lay in some punches. He hit a doublestomp and was now in charge. He nailed a hard kick to the spine as she was seated on the mat and got a nearfall at 5:00. The kids in the crowd are firmly behind Trish. Blackwood hit a back suplex for a nearfall, and he tied her in an Octopus on the mat, but she reached the ropes at 7:00. Trish fired up and hit a series of forearm shots and a running crossbody block, then a Stinger Splash in the corner. She hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Trish hit a delayed German Suplex, with Blackwood fighting as she slowly went backward at 9:30.
Blackwood hit a missile dropkick to the jaw, then a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. They began trading chops. She hit another German for a nearfall at 12:30. Trish applied a Danielson-style Cattle Mutilation with a high bridge. Blackwood hit a stunner, then a tombstone piledriver for a believable nearfall at 14:00, and Kevin argued with the referee. Trish hit a backbreaker over her knee. He nailed a Shining Wizard to the jaw, then a series of elbow strikes to the back of the head. He snapped on a chinlock and cranked back. The ref checked her and called for the bell; she did not tap out. That was an insanely good intergender match.
5. Joey Janela defeated Paul Lee at 11:43. Lee has to be in his 50s or even his 60s, and he wore Ric Flair’s blue and black robe, and his facial features are like Flair, too. He is clearly just a Ric Flair impersonator making his BLP debut. Janela’s deliberate style is why he’s been put in the ring with elderly wrestlers like 73-year-old Mike Jackson, and probably why he was selected here. Lee hit a flip dive to the floor at 2:30, which was unexpected. They traded chops on the floor, and they brawled over to the merchandise tables. In the ring, Lee hit a spin kick for a nearfall at 4:30.
Lee hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall. Lee did the Flair-flip over the corner, went to the other corner, but got caught (typical Flair spots.) Janela hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall, then a piledriver, but Lee hopped to his feet. Lee hit a standing neckbreaker. He went to the floor and threw some chairs in the ring. Lee hit a con-chair-to on an anklelock, and he applied a Figure Four at 9:00. Janela reversed it. The commentators talked about how the ref isn’t bothered by the chairs in the ring, as Lee set up a bridge.
Janela hit a brainbuster through onto the chair bridge, then a top-rope doublestomp to the chest for a nearfall. Janela set up in the corner a la Shawn Michaels, hit the Superkick, and scored the pin. An amusing match.
* Intermission. I wasn’t watching live so I was able to fast-forward. We come back with an unadvertised “bonus match.”
6. Ryan Mooney defeated Chase Holliday at 8:02. Holliday has a sizeable gut. Mooney wears a half-mask that covers his left eye. Mooney bit Holliday in the butt. Chase hit a hard chop that dropped Mooney. They brawled to the floor and in front of the fans. Mooney hit a backbody drop onto the ring apron, with Holliday tumbling to the floor at 5:00.
Mooney hit a dive to the floor, then a Shadows Over Hell frogsplash to the back for a nearfall. Chase hit a Nigel-style clothesline off the ropes for a believable nearfall. Mooney hit a diving cutter, then a Shining Wizard for the pin. This wasn’t good, but it didn’t overstay its welcome, either.
7. David Young defeated Kobe Durst at 6:40. Yes, this is TNA-era Young, and his gut has gotten quite large. Durst is much younger, blond and scrawny. Young easily shoved him to the mat and hit some punches. Durst hit a leg lariat for a nearfall. This is ‘bowling shoe ugly.’ Durst hit a Fame-Asser legdrop for a nearfall at 5:30. Young nailed the spinebuster for the pin. Blah; two straight ugly matches coming out of intermission.
8. Joshua Bishop defeated Dominic Garrini for the BLP Midwest Title at 8:57. Bishop, the Sid Vicious clone with short curly blond hair, also is a champion in nearby AIW in Ohio. They shook hands but immediately traded forearm shots. They brawled to the floor and amongst the fans. Bishop hit a Death Valley Driver onto the floor at 3:30. In the ring, Garrini fired back with a head-caputre suplex and a senton for a nearfall. Garrini hit a series of forearms. Bishop hit a Black Hole Slam and a chokeslam for a believable nearfall at 6:00.
Garrini hit a clothesline for a nearfall, and he applied a sleeperhold; Bishop jumped and fell backward onto Garrini to break free. Bishop hit a double-arm DDT, then a Goldberg-style Jackhammer for the pin. Solid match; it didn’t need to be longer than that.
* The commentators reiterated that Trevor Outlaw has left the building, leaving his stable-mates here to fend for themselves in the main event.
9. “The Bang Bros” Davey Bang and August Matthews defeated “The Space Pirates” Shane Sabre and Space Monkey to retain the BLP Tag Team Titles at 16:46. Space Monkey wears a monkey mask and has a tail. Sabre has a beard reminiscent of “Planet of the Apes;” he looks like a taller Tony Nese without the six-pack. August, who is taller, scrawny and white, opened against Sabre. Space Monkey hit the monkey flip on August. Sabre hit a dive to the floor. In the ring, the Space Pirates worked over Matthews. Bang entered at 5:30, and he worked over Sabre’s left arm. Matthews hit a snap suplex, as the Bang Bros worked over Sabre.
Bang hit a top-rope flying clothesline on Sabre. Space Monkey made the hot tag at 8:30 and he worked over Bang. He hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall on Bang. Bang hit a moonsault to the floor, while Matthews hit a dive through the ropes at 10:30. Back in the ring, Sabre hit a Lungblower on Matthews for a nearfall. Bang hit a top-rope Spanish Fly. Sabre hit a double clothesline, and suddenly everyone was down at 12:30. The Bang Bros hit their team spinning slam. Sabre hit a spear on Matthews and an Air Raid Crash for a nearfall, but Bang made the save.
Sabre and Matthews brawled on the ring apron, and Matthews powerbombed Sabre to the floor! Meanwhile, Space Monkey hit a LIonsault Press in the ring. Bang hit his rolling Death Valley Driver on Space Monkey, then their team spear move to pin Space Monkey. Entertaining match. A commentator pointed out they won and retained without Outlaw’s help.
Final Thoughts: This show started at 4 p.m. Saturday. Trevor Outlaw (first match) and Carlos Romo (second match) and Aramis (third match) and Joey Janela (fifth match) were doing double-duty, as they traveled roughly an hour to the Chicago area for the Warrior Wrestling show later Saturday night.
Best match goes to Aramis-Mathers, as they showed off why they are booked every weekend all over the country. While I have my stated objections to intergender matches, Blackwood-Adora was incredibly good and earns second-best. I’ll go with the main event for third place, and Bishop-Garrini for honorable mention.
The night show is coming up next featuring Calvin Tankman vs. 1 Called Manders and Billie Starkz vs. Brogan Finlay, and I’ve thought this before — they could make one really good super show from the top matches from each card. With an attendance this sparse (and I don’t imagine the evening show will look much different), I really don’t know how BLP pays all the wrestlers and the rent of the building.
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