By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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West Coast Pro Wrestling “Home of the Killers”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
April 7, 2023 in San Francisco, California at the State Room
Veda Scott and James Kincaid provided live commentary, and they said the show is a complete sellout.
* The show opened with the nice video montage featuring the top wrestlers on the roster. I dig this intro. We then head to the building, and it appears we have 300-400 in attendance. I guess it’s a sellout, but it feels like they could have packed in more people if they really wanted to…
1. Bret the Threat defeated JT Thorne at 8:02. Bret looks a bit like Drew Gulak, with short dark hair and a beard, and he wore a singlet like an amateur wrestler. Thorne is the first graduate of the WCPW school; he’s of average size but he’s pudgy around his middle. Bret tossed him hard to the mat at 2:00 and celebrated. Bret hit a series of chops. Bret applied a sleeper in the center of the ring, and JT passed out. That was really, really not good; Thorne is not ready to be in front of a crowd at all. Bret appears promising.
2. “West Coast Wrecking Crew” Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs defeated “The Velocities” Jude London and Paris De Silva at 11:47. The Velocities are Australian kids; they worked on a Warrior Wrestling show a few weeks ago; this is their WCPW debut. Veda said they getting on a plane tomorrow to fly back to Australia, ending their two-week US tour. Isaacs looked good last weekend in the Bloodsport event. The WCWC are bigger and thicker. Jorel and Paris started; Jorel dropped him with a shoulder tackle but Paris popped back to his feet.
London, who wears a bandana tagged in and they hit some fast offense on the Crew. The Velocities went for dives through the ropes at 2:30, but the WCWC caught them and walked around ringside, holding their opponents upside down. In the ring, the Crew worked over Paris. Jorel hit a backbreaker over his knee at 5:00, and Royce hit a gutbuster for a nearfall. Paris hit a huracanrana out of the corner, and he made the hot tag to London.
London hit a nice dropkick on Isaacs. Jorel nailed a top-rope crossbody block on London for a nearfall at 8:30. London hit a Shooting Star DDT move for a nearfall, and everyone was down. Isaacs hit a German Suplex. Isaacs placed one opponent on his shoulders; Jorel was standing on the top rope and he launched off of that guy and hit an elbow drop on the other Velocities guy for the pin. Solid match.
3. Aja Kong defeated Vert Vixen at 8:19. Veda said Vixen is headed to Tokyo Joshi Pro soon. Aja got a huge pop and Kincaid called it a “goosebump-raising moment.” They had an intense lockup to begin; Aja has the size and weight advantage. They brawled to the floor and away from the ring. They finally climbed back in the ring at 4:30, with Kong hitting a stiff kick to Vixen’s back, then a second one. Kong hit an elbow drop for a nearfall. Vert rolled into the ring and hit a stunner, then a Helluva Kick in the corner.
Vixen hit a missile dropkick for a nearfall. Kong nailed a piledriver for a nearfall at 7:00. Vixen hit an enzuigiri, then a springboard Disaster Kick for a nearfall. Kong fired back with a Saito Suplex for a nearfall. Kong then nailed a massive spinning back fist to score the pin. The outcome was never in doubt, but Vixen brought a good fight.
4. Bryan Keith defeated Jordan Oliver at 7:22. This is also Oliver’s WCPW debut. Oliver offered a handshake; Keith kicked it away. Oliver applied a Boston Crab early in the match, then a dropkick, then a plancha to the floor at 2:00. In the ring, Keith hit a T-Bone suplex. They stood toe-to-toe and Keith hit a hard chop, and they took turns hitting them. Oliver hit a sidewalk slam, a Northern Lights Suplex, and a Helluva Kick. Keith hit a suplex into the turnbuckles at 5:30, then a flipping stunner move for a nearfall. Oliver hit the Acid Kick and his sit-out powerbomb for the pin. Keith hit the Tiger Driver for the pin. Good match but far too short.
5. Mike Bailey defeated Michael Oku at 19:27. They have met just once before, in the UK. Bailey hit a Helluva Kick and a brainbuster to open the match for a nearfall just seconds in! Bailey hit his Triangle Moonsault to the floor, and they brawled in front of the fans. Back in the ring, Bailey remained in charge. Oku hit a springboard dropkick at 6:30. Oku hit a DDT for a believable nearfall.
Bailey hit his springboard moonsault to the floor on Oku. In the ring, Oku hit a dropkick at 9:00 that sent Bailey back to the floor. Oku then nailed a Fosbury Flop to the floor. In the ring, Bailey went for his moonsault kneedrop, but Oku got his knees up. Oku went for a top-rope frogsplash, but Bailey got his knees up, and they were both down at 11:00. They traded chops. Oku hit a moonsault for a nearfall. Oku dove through the ropes onto Bailey.
In the ring, Oku hit another dive through the ropes. In the ring, Oku hit a dropkick into the corner. Bailey went for the Flamingo Driver, but Oku escaped. Bailey instead hit the moonsault kneedrop at 15:00, then a spin kick for a nearfall. Bailey went for the Ultima Weapon, but Oku moved. Oku applied the half-crab, and he dragged Bailey to the center of the ring, but Bailey eventually escaped. They fought on the ropes in the corner. Oku hit a top-rope frogsplash, going more than halfway across the ring, for a nearfall. Oku went for a crossbody block but Bailey got his knees up.
Bailey hit his Tornado Kick, then the second-rope Ultima Weapon for a believable nearfall at 19:00. Oku again applied the half crab; Bailey turned it into a rollup for a nearfall. Bailey then nailed the Green Tea Plunge/mid-ring Spanish Fly for the clean pin. I’ve never seen Bailey win with that move before; it’s usually a setup move. A really, really good match.
* Intermission
6. Alpha Zo defeated Lio Rush at 13:19. Zo is a short Black man I’ve seen on several California-based shows now; he’s not really fat but he’s thicker than Rush. They tied up and Zo shoved him to the mat. They brawled to the floor, and Zo slammed Lio onto the ring apron at 3:30. Zo hit a running boot to the chest as Lio was seated on a chair. In the ring, Zo hit a running elbow in the corner, then a running boot in the corner. Lio hit some spin kicks to the thighs.
Lio hit a clothesline and they were both down at 7:30. Lio ducked some punches and hit his own punches. Lio dove through the ropes and barreled onto Zo, then he hit a second one. In the ring, Lio hit a stunner for a nearfall. Zo hit a release German Suplex, tossing Lio across the ring. Zo then hit another German Suplex for a nearfall. Lio went for a frogsplash, but Zo moved. Zo hit another German Suplex, then a half nelson suplex at 11:30, then a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall, and they were both down.
Lio hit a spin kick to the head, then a top-rope frogsplash for a believable nearfall. Zo nailed a decapitating clothesline, then a spin cycle swinging slam for the clean pin. That is a surprising upset, and the fans gave Zo a standing ovation.
7. Masha Slamovich defeated Miyu Yamashita to retain the WCPW Women’s Title at 17:23. The crowd was hot before they even locked up. Veda said that Miyu won the only ever singles meeting between these two. Intense mat reversals top open. Miyu hit a series of kicks to the back. They brawled to the floor at 4:00, and Masha hit a snap suplex onto several open chairs. (These are padded chairs with metal frames, but that still hurts!) Miyu hit a spin kick off a chair to Masha’s face.
In the ring, Miyu applied a Cobra Clutch at 6:30, and she kept Masha tied up on the mat. Masha hit a running knee in the corner. Masha applied a Camel Clutch, but Miyu powered out at 9:00. Miyu hit another spin kick for a nearfall. Masha grabbed Miyu off the second rope and hit a German Suplex at 11:30. Miyu hit a second-rope slam to the mat, and they were both down.
They got up and traded stiff forearms, chops, and spin kicks. Miyu hit a German Suplex at 14:00; Masha hit one. Miyu hit a second German Suplex. Miyu hit her spinning Skull Kick, but Masha fell through the ropes and to the floor. Miyu tossed Masha back in the ring and got a nearfall at 16:00. MIyu put Masha on her shoulders and hit several kneestrikes to the head. Masha escaped and hit a Shining Wizard, then the White Knight Driver piledriver for the clean pin. A really, really good match.
8. Jacob Fatu, Vinnie Massaro, and Starboy Charlie defeated Titus Alexander, Alan Angels, and Kevin Blackwood at 18:53. Massaro had a match on AEW Elevation recently; I admittedly am not a fan. Titus wore his WCPW title to the ring; Kincaid said he “has the most punchable face in pro wrestling.” Blackwood and Massaro opened, but we have plenty of stalling. Blackwood hit some kicks to the back. Charlie entered at 3:30 and traded mat reversals with Blackwood. Angels tagged in and hit some deep armdrags on Charlie. Fatu entered and hit a Stinger Splash on Angels. The heels began working over Charlie, with Titus hitting a spinning backbreaker over his knee at 7:30.
Charlie hit a spinebuster and an enzuigiri on Blackwood, and he made the hot tag at 10:00 to Massaro. Massaro hit a back suplex. Fatu hit a senton. Charlie hit a shotgun dropkick, then a baseball slide dropkick to the floor on Angels, then an Asai Moonsault. Titus hit a standing powerbomb on Massaro. Angels hit a frogsplash on Massaro for a nearfall at 12:30. The heels began working over Massaro in their corner. Fatu made the hot tag and he hit his pop-up Samoan Drop on Angels, then a top-rope flipping press on the other two heels.
In a cool spot, Fatu put two guys on his shoulders and hit a Samoan Drop. Fatu then dove onto all three heels on the floor at 15:30. Titus hit a German Suplex on Charlie. Massaro hit a pumphandle sit-out powerbmb. Angels hit a German Suplex on Massaro, then a Shining Wizard for a nearfall. Titus hit a roaring elbow on Massaro. Titus hit a Poison Rana on Fatu. The heels tossed Charlie to the floor on Fatu. Massaro hit a roaring elbow on Angels for the pin.
* Massaro kept staring at Titus. He got on the mic and said he’s sick and tired of Titus representing West Coast Pro. He demanded a title shot. However, Starboy Charlie told Massaro that he deserves a title shot, not Massaro. Chris Hero (who is now WCPW matchmaker) said Charlie and Massaro will meet in a number one contender’s match at the next show.
Final Thoughts: We had two stellar matches here. I’ll go with Bailey vs. Oku for best match, but Masha-Miyu was really good and I wouldn’t argue with anyone who liked that more. I hated that Masha’s title was on the line, as I think that all but guaranteed she was going over here. Just have it be non-title to have some mystery.
Alpha Zo isn’t on Lio Rush’s level; I don’t think you’ll suddenly see him booked across the country every weekend. I don’t mind him getting the big win here, but I was surprised. I’ll go with that match for third-best, ahead of the paint-by-numbers main event. The biggest disappointment is that Keith-Oliver was so short, I don’t think WCPW fans got to see how truly special a talent Oliver is.
If I were booking an indy show .. I am of the mindset you open with a high-energy match, maybe a lucha match or a six-person scramble. Your match with the untested rookie is your ‘popcorn match,’ the first match coming out of intermission. I wouldn’t have opened with that slow-paced rookie match.
I just want to point out that Veda Scott, Mike Bailey, Bryan Keith and Miyu Yamashita all competed a day earlier in Ohio for Pro Wrestling Revolver. I continue to be in awe of the travel schedule of the top tier of indy wrestlers.
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