By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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World Series Wrestling “Unleash Hell Night 3”
Streamed on FITE TV
March 12, 2023 in Adelaide, Australia at Adelaide Oval
Australia’s World Series Wrestling held shows on four straight nights featuring more than a dozen of the top talent from the United States, with wrestlers from the AEW, New Japan and Impact rosters. This is a review of the third show (it took place at 3 a.m. CST). This show is available on Fite+. The lights are low, so it’s hard to see how many are in the crowd but it is perhaps 500.
* At the conclusion of the Saturday show, WSW owner Adrian Manera ran into the ring and turned heel, helping Matt Cardona win the WSW title from Johnny Down Under (Morrison.) The show opened with Cardona and Brian Myers hitting the ring. We have a different commentary team for this show. Cardona ripped into the city of Adelaide. They aired a video of celebrities wishing “Matt” well and it was heavily edited and rather funny. Cardona made an open challenge… and out came Brian Cage! Cardona said he meant a jabroni from Australia. “Brian, you’re already a champion, it just isn’t fair,” he explained. Myers added, “It’s called a microphone; I know Tony Khan doesn’t let you touch it often,” which drew a “ohhh” reaction. Cage responded, “Matt, the only reason you’re on the tour is Chelsea got signed and she couldn’t come back.” Myers and Cardona scrambled to the back.
1. Josh Alexander defeated Blake Christian at 12:59. Josh wore his Impact Wrestling title belt, and they shook hands before the bell. They traded mat holds, and Blake did his heelish crotch chop. Blake hit a dropkick. Blake hit a spear on the ring apron. They fought on the floor, and Josh suplexed Blake onto the ring apron at 3:00. The commentators said this is a first-ever singles match. In the ring, Josh hit a Northern Lights suplex for a nearfall, then a backbreaker over his knee. Josh hit some hard chops, with the crowd chanting, “one more time!”
They traded forearms and slaps, and Josh got a Forward Finlay Roll at 6:30. Blake hit a 619 and a springboard twisting elbow. He hit an enzuigiri in the corner and a side suplex for a nearfall at 8:00. Josh fired back with three German Suplexes for a nearfall. Josh set up for the C4 Spike but Blake got free. Blake hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall. Blake hit a knee strike to the head as Josh was lying on the top rope, then a 450 Splash at 11:00 for a nearfall. Josh kicked out and immediately applied an anklelock. Blake hit his Fosbury Flop to the floor.
In the ring, Blake missed his springboard 450 splash and landed (kayfabe) awkwardly. Josh immediately applied an anklelock. Josh again tried for the C4 Spike but Blake got a rollup for a nearfall and a Pele Kick. Josh hit a twisting tombstone piledriver, then the C4 Spike piledriver for the pin. That was really good and exactly what you’d expect from these two.
2. Steph de Lander and Jordynne Grace defeated Jessica Troy and Shazza McKenzie in a Texas Tornado match at 10:03. The rules are simply no tags needed. Shazza and Grace started; the commentators talked about Jordynne’s 70-second win two nights ago. Jordynne shoved her to the mat, and Shazza rolled to the floor to regroup. Steph hit a Stinger Splash on Troy. Jordynne held Troy upside down for several seconds before hitting a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 3:00. Steph and Jordynne kept working over Troy.
Shazza got in and hit a running knee in the corner on Steph, and they brawled to the floor. Shazza and Troy began working over Steph. Jordynne made the hot tag and hit a Muscle Buster on Shazza for a nearfall at 7:30, but Troy made the save. Jordynne and Steph hit simultaneous German suplexes for nearfalls. Shazza shoved Jordynne into Steph, and Shazza hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall on Grace. Steph made a blind tag; Jordynne hit a spinebuster on Shazza. Steph tossed teammate Jordynne out of the ring and she hit a faceplant on Shazza for the pin. “That’s a clear message to the champion,” a commentator said.
* Jordynne and Steph fought after the bell.
3. Johnny Down Under (f/k/a/ Johnny Morrison) defeated Brian Myers (w/Matt Cardona) at 9:35. The commentators say this is actually a first-ever singles match, although they’ve faced multiple times in tag matches. Myers stalled on the floor, refusing to enter the ring. Myers finally got in the ring at 3:00 and Johnny immediately hit a suplex. Cardona distracted Johnny, allowing Myers to hit a low blow mule kick and take control of the action. He kept Johnny grounded; this match has had almost no action.
Johnny hit a plancha at 7:00. In the ring, Johnny hit a running knee for a nearfall and a springboard spin kick. Johnny hit a sliding German Suplex. Cardona hopped in the ring but Myers accidentally hit him. Johnny immediately hit a swinging neckbreaker on Myers for the pin. A subpar match but the crowd was engaged.
* Myers and Cardona continued to beat up Johnny some more after the match, but Bandido ran down and made the save. Bandido and Johnny danced some more, like they did during their match on the first night of the tour.
* Another LONG intermission. Glad I am able to fast-forward over it, but why doesn’t Fite.TV just remove it entirely from the replay?
4. TJP defeated Bandido, Flip Gordon, Chris Basso, Joey Janela and Effy in a six-way to become WSW Australian Champion at 17:48. Basso has a good physique and reminds me a bit of Heath Slater, with his blondish-red hair; all six of these guys are similar height and overall size. Janela and TJP brawled on the floor. In the ring, Bandido and Flip traded quick reversals. Basso and Janela got in the ring and squared off, and Basso is taller. Basso hit a second-rope huracanrana at 3:00. Effy hit a Blockbuster on Basso.
Bandido hit a flip dive to the floor on everyone at 5:00. TJP wanted to do a dive but got shoved out of the way. Basso hit a dive. Flip hit a springboard dive. TJP was frustrated; he set up for a dive but the ref blocked him. Funny. Effy tied TJP up in a Tarantula in the ropes. TJP finally hit a top-rope corkscrew splash onto everyone on the floor at 7:00. Janela pulled back the floor mats; he got on the back of a fan’s electric wheelchair and rammed him into the other wrestlers as if they were bowling pins. Funny.
In the ring, Janela hit a brainbuster on Basso. TJP tied Gordon up on the mat, and suddenly, TJP had three guys in submission holds at 9:30. Effy applied a leglock around TJP’s head on the mat. Bandido and Basso traded forearm shots at 12:00, and Bandido hit his Military Press. Basso dropped Bandido stomach-first on the top turnbuckle. Gordon hit a springboard dropkick. Janela gave Gordon a Death Valley Driver into the corner on another wrestler. Bandido nailed a frogsplash on Effy. TJP tied Bandido in an Octopus.
Bandido nailed the 21 Plex on Janela, but Joey rolled to the floor at 15:00. TJP hit a tornado DDT on Bandido. Janela hit a German Suplex on three different wrestlers and was fired up. Janela hit a superplex onto everyone standing in the ring. Janela nailed a package piledriver on Gordon for a nearfall, but TJP hit a Mamba Splash frogsplash to break it up! TJP nailed the Detonation Kick on Janela, and he tied Janela in a mid-ring Octopus, with Joey tapping out. TJP celebrated with the title belt. Fantastic six-way scramble.
5. Erick Redbeard (Rowan) and Matt Basso defeated “The Parea” Eli Theseus and Gabriel Aeros at 17:52. The Parea wore their gold trunks from the first night of the tour; they both have short black hair and Eli has a goatee. Again, Basso is dressed like a Viking Raider. The Parea jumped the babyfaces to start the match, and they all brawled on the floor. Redbeard bodyslammed Basso onto the Parea members.
The Parea beat up Redbeard on the floor; Erick barely rolled in at 5:00 to avoid being counted out.Basso finally made the hot tag and he cleared the ring. However, the Parea were quickly in control and worked over Basso. Gabriel applied a sleeper on the mat. Redbeard finally made the hot tag at 12:30 and hit a double Stinger Splash then a double suplex, and he was fired up. Gabriel hit a nice flip dive to the floor on Basso. The Parea hit a team stunner move on Redbeard, and Gabriel hit a frogplash for a believable nearfall at 16:00. Gabriel pulled out his gold chain. However, Erick hit a modified Jackhammer on Eli. Erick and Basso hit a team chokeslam for the pin. Decent tag match with a strong final few minutes.
6. Matt Cardona defeated Brian Cage to retain the WSW Title in 17:27. Like in Myers’ match, Cardona stalled, and he got on the mic and said, “show me some respect. You people don’t deserve to see me wrestle tonight.” Cardona got in the ring, but Cage hit a shoulder tackle at 2:30, and Cardona immediately bailed again. Back in the ring, Cage hit a backbody drop and a release German Suplex and was in control. Cardona bailed again, so Cage followed, and Cage bodyslammed him onto the entrance ramp at 5:00.
They brawled far from ringside and into a concourse; this room is deeper than I originally estimated. (It appears this room is inside a baseball stadium; you can see the field down below as they brawled by windows.) They got back in the ring at 8:00, and Cardona seized control, as he shoved Cage shoulder-first into the ring post. Cage hit a pumphandle faceplant for a nearfall at 12:00. Cardona nailed a Lungblower for a nearfall, and a running boot in the corner for a nearfall.
The ref got bumped. Cage hit a powerbomb and a Flatliner faceplant for a visual pin, but we didn’t have a ref! Cardona hit a low blow and he struck Cage with the title belt for a believable nearfall. Cage applied a modified Texas Cloverleaf; Brian Myers hit the ring to distract Cage. Cardona hit his Radio Silence flying leg lariat for a believable nearfall at 16:00. Cage hit a discus lariat, then a second-rope superplex for a believable nearfall. Cage set up for the Drill Claw; Myers at ringside grabbed Cage’s boot, allowing Cardona to collapse onto Cage for the tainted pin. A decent match and what you’d expect here.
* Flip Gordon ran to ringside and he tossed Myers into the ring, allowing Cage to slam Myers. Gordon and Cage celebrated with their WSW tag title belts.
Final Thoughts: The Josh Alexander-Blake Christian match was fantastic and earns best match. The six-way scramble was a blast and earned second place, with the main event hitting all the expected notes for third.
The tour wrapped up on Monday in Sydney, Australia.
>>(It appears this room is inside a baseball stadium; you can see the field down below as they brawled by windowsL<<
By taking about 4 seconds to use the internet (on my phone! Didn't even have to use a computer!), I found this…
The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby league, rugby union, soccer, tennis among other sports as well as regularly being used to hold concerts.