By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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New Texas Pro Wrestling “A Fistful of Dollars”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
April 8, 2023 in Pasadena, Texas at Campbell Hall
I have never watched this promotion before — I actually know more female wrestlers on this lineup than male wrestlers — but I tuned in for the announced main event. The crowd appears to be 200-300. This seems to be a large warehouse building, so no problems with a low roof. We have on-screen graphics, which is really important to show names of a roster I admittedly don’t know.
1. Isaac Morales defeated Rudy Garza (w/Dan Miller), T-Ray and JJ Blake in a four-way scramble to win the Lonestar Title at 10:42. Garza has a passing resemblance to Santos Escobar. Morales wore blue pants with red tassels like the Texas Tornado. T-Ray is a thick, muscular Black man, and he got a nice pop. Blake, the Lonestar Champion entering the match, is Black and wore a cowboy hat and has a modern cowboy look (blue jeans, vest, boots.) T-Ray hit shoulder tackles on each of the smaller Hispanic competitors, and he hit a dive to the floor on everyone.
In the ring, T-Ray hit a belly-to-belly overhead release suplex on Blake, then one on Morales at 3:00. T-Ray hit a double Mark Henry slam on both Hispanic men, showing off that strength. Morales hit a Death Valley Driver on Garza. Morales tried to pick up T-Ray but he couldn’t get the big man up. Morales hit a German Suplex on T-Ray, then he bodyslammed T-Ray at 6:00. We had a tower spot out of the corner with T-Ray on top of the pyramid and crashing hard, and everyone was down.
Everyone got up and T-Ray hit a spear on Garza for a nearfall. T-Ray hit three straight F-5 Slams on Blake for a nearfall, but Garza made the save. Garza and T-Ray were brawling on the floor, when Morales hit a top-rope moonsault on Blake for the pin! New champion!! I enjoyed this a lot, and this was a good way to start the show.
2. Diego De La Cruz defeated Justin “Bulldog” Walker at 9:49. Cruz has his hair slicked back and in a ponytail, an he’s a babyface. Walker is a rotund, bald white man, and he has a Hercules-style thick chain around his neck. Walker wears a red-and-black Big Van Vader-style singlet, and you could make a lot of Vader comparisons when looking at him. Walker backed him into the corner and hit some devastating chops, then a Stinger Splash. Cruz pulled Walker off the top turnbuckle and they both crashed to the floor at 4:00, and they brawled around ringside.
In the ring, Walker hit a Samoan Drop at 6:00 for a nearfall. Cruz hit a Lungblower, and they were both down. Walker hit a forward Finlay Roll, but he missed a Vader Bomb (I wrote the Vader comparisons before this move!) Cruz got the big man up and hit a Death Valley Driver for the clean pin. Decent match.
3. Rache Chanel defeated Amira at 7:48. Chanel, a Black woman, has had several AEW Dark matches, and she carried her designer bag to ringside. Amira is Latina, and she shook hands with fans as she ran to ringside. Chanel hit a Mafia Kick to the face and was in control early on; she was cocky and went to the floor and sat in the crowd. In the ring, Chanel shoved the ref into Amira and used that blow to stay in charge. Chanel pulled a brush out of her bag and angrily combed Amira’s hair at 3:00.
Amira fired back and hit a rolling cannonball in the corner and a DDT. They fought over Chanel’s brush. Chanel sprayed Amira in the face from a canister, then hit a Lungblower to the chest as Amira was tied in the ropes, to score the cheap pin.
* “The sheriff” Kiefer Bartek hit the ring. He wore a wrestler T-shirt under his vest and the “sheriff” moniker doesn’t make any sense when looking at him. He promoted the main event. The Eighth Day hit the ring and their leader is dressed like a Catholic priest. They are definitely a cult…
4. Izzy James, “Fly Def” Zak Zilla, and Warren Johnson defeated “The Eighth Day” Shawn Hendricks, Brother Tracy, and Oday (w/Holy Roger) in a six-man tag at 11:49. All six brawled at the bell, and I don’t know any of these guys. Zilla and Johnson are Black men, and the Eighth Day kept Johnson in their corner early on. Zak Zilla made the hot tag at 8:30 and hit a series of German suplexes. Izzy entered and hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. The babyfaces hit stereo dives to the floors on the Eighth Day at 11:00. In the ring, Izzy hit a Doomsday Blockbuster to score the pin. Fairly basic, but I see promise in the Fly Def team.
5. Max Heights (w/Rique Gilmore) defeated Erik Lockhart via DQ in a No. 1 contender’s match at 9:31. Lockhart, who is currently the #1 contender, hit the ring, and he has long hair that goes half-way down his back, and he’s a babyface; he reminds me of a very young Stevie Richards. Heights wore sun glasses and is a mix of heel Ethan Page and heel Matt Taven. Heights tried to stall in the ropes. Pretty basic reversals early on. Lockhart hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 5:30. Gilmore tripped Lockhart, allowing Heights to hit a top-rope Mamba Splash frogsplash for a nearfall.
Lockhart hit a double-underhook suplex. Gilmore hopped on the ring apron to distract Lockhart. Lockhart applied a half-crab. Gilmore hopped in the ring, holding a clip board, and the commentators wondered why the ref hasn’t called for the bell. Lockhart hit Heights with the clip board across the head, and the ref called for the bell. Heights wins the #1 contender slot via DQ, because it isn’t a title belt, and thus there is no “champions’ advantage.” The commentary team was frustrated with this absurd ruling.
6. Raychell Rose defeated Buzzsaw Samuels in a Last Person Standing match at 10:15. Buzzsaw has a mullet, looks like a Southern hillbilly, and wore a T-shirt that reads “off with her head,” and he was booed. Rose carries herself like a queen; I’ve compared her to Britt Baker or Charlotte Flair in prior reviews. Here, she is wearing blue jeans a T-shirt, showing she’s ready for a fight. She jumped him in the ring to start the match, and she hit a superkick. She is noticeably smaller, so this fight is a bit absurd. They brawled to the floor and to the entrance stage. The commentators say they are boyfriend and girlfriend.
Rose hit a running knee to the jaw at 3:30. Buzzsaw took of his belt and whipped her across the back, then across her knee, and he was loudly booed. I am not amused by this; the announcers explain that Buzzsaw lost a title belt and blames her for it. Rose hit a low blow uppercut, grabbed the belt, and she hit him MUCH HARDER with it. Buzzsaw threw a chair in her face at 6:00, then a running knee to the back of the head. Buzzsaw missed a top-rope moonsault. Rose hit the “Off with Her Head” running knee to the back of the head; he stumbled to his feet at seven.
Buzzsaw choked her in the ropes; she tapped out but the commentators pointed out this match cannot be won via tap-out. They fought to the floor, then onto the ring apron. Rose speared him off the ring apron and through a table set up at ringside. She hopped to her feet; he didn’t get up before the 10-count. This match was more than a little disturbing to me.
7. Mysterious Q defeated Titus Alexander at 17:06. Titus is the rising star from California who recently had some AEW Elevation matches, and was in this year’s PWG BOLA. I’ve seen Q just once before; he’s a muscular man in a ninja mask. They locked up, and Q is taller, thicker and more muscular than Titus. Q hit a hard chop that dropped Titus at 5:00. Q hit a huracarana that sent Titus to the floor. Titus slammed Q on the ring apron and he paused to flex, drawing some boos. In the ring, Titus hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall and was in charge.
Q hit a flying elbow in the corner and a superkick for a nearfall at 9:00. Titus hit a flying forearm in the corner, then a handspring-back-stunner for a nearfall. They traded mid-ring forearm shots. Titus hit a nice Chaos Theory rolling German Suplex for a believable nearfall at 12:30. Q hit a stunner, and they were both down. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Titus hit a running powerbomb, then a brainbuster for a believable nearfall at 15:00.
Titus hit some punches but it just fired Q up. Q hit a handspring-back-spin kick, then a German Suplex, then a Helluva Kick. He placed Titus’ feet on the ropes and hit a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. Q dove between the ropes onto Titus on the floor. Titus went for a handspring move, but Q caught him with a stunner. Q then hit a swinging Blue Thunder Bomb for the pin. That was really, really good.
8. Stephen Wolf defeated Hyan in an intergender match at 14:07. Hyan always reminds me of Deonna Purrazzo, especially in her shiny, purple robe she wears to ringside. Wolf wore a mask over his mouth and nose and a robe that makes me think he got it at a Mortal Kombat fan convention. Like in the other intergender match, Wolf is much taller than his female opponent. Wolf is in good shape and reminds me of Myron Reed. She hit a dropkick that sent Wolf to the floor at 2:00, then she dove through the ropes onto him.
Wolf shoved her to the floor and the crowd booed him. In the ring, he choked her in the ropes and hit a chop on her chest in the corner, and he slowed her down with a chinlock. He hit a running knee to her forehead at 5:30, then a release suplex. Hyan fired back with a vertical suplex at 7:00. She hit a clothesline that caused Wolf’s arms to get tied in the top two ropes. This allowed her to hit several hard chops to his chest. Hyan hit a legdrop to the throat for a nearfall.
Wolf hit a hard chop that dropped her at 9:00. Hyan hit a suplex into the turnbuckes, then a running boot in the corner for a nearfall. Wolf fired back with a dropkick. He applied a crossface on the mat, but she reached the ropes at 11:00. Wolf hit a back suplex, but she kicked out at one, drawing a pop and frustrating Wolf. He went for a top-rope frogsplash, but she got her knees up. She hit a Cargill-style Implant Buster faceplant for a believable nearfall. She hit a headbutt; he countered with a clothesline, then a tombstone piledriver for the clean pin. My objections to intergender matches aside, this was a good match.
9. Lil Evil defeated Danny Orion (w/two partners) at 6:55. Evil wore black, a tight cap and sun glasses, and he’s the babyface. Orion wore black and light purple pants, and he is Latino. Orion’s partners pulled Evil to the floor, threw him back in, and allowed Orion to get the upper hand. Orion hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 3:30. Evil hit a clothesline in the corner and a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Evil hit a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall at 6:00.
The heels beat up Evil some more on the floor. In the ring, Evil fired up and hit a spear, then a brainbuster for the pin. That wasn’t particularly smooth; it felt like a popcorn match, or something that should have been early in the show, not the last match before the main event.
10. Bryan Keith defeated Mike Bailey to retain the New Texas Pro Championship at 20:02. They shook hands and had an intense lockup. The commentators talked about Keith having a great showing at the PWG “Battle of Los Angeles” in January. An intense lockup, some fast reversals, and a standoff. They traded mid-ring forearm shots and the crowd is fired up for this one. They brawled to the floor at 3:00, and they went up onto the entrance stage, where Keith hit a DDT onto the stage. Keith tossed him back in the ring, but Bailey hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor on Keith.
Bailey hit a top-rope double kneedrop as Keith was hanging over the top rope at 6:00. Bailey hit a dragon screw leg whip, and he began targeting the left leg. Bailey applied the Jamie Noble Trailer Hitch leglock on the mat, but Keith reached the ropes. They traded chops, and Keith looked ticked off after Bailey hit a chop to the back; Bailey allowed Keith to hit a back chop, so they traded chops to the back, until Bailey hit several spin kicks and a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall.
Keith nailed an Exploder Suplex into the corner at 11:00, and they were both down. They got up and traded more forearm shots. Keith hit a Flatliner faceplant for a nearfall. Bailey fired back with the Speedball kicks to the ribs and thighs. Bailey went for the Tornado Kick, but Keith blocked it. Bailey nailed his top-rope moonsault to the floor, and they were both down on the floor, with the crowd chanting, “holy shit!” They got up and traded spin kicks while fighting on the ring apron. Bailey nailed the moonsault kneedrop to the chest on the ring apron at 15:00.
They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Keith hit a top-rope superplex to the mat, and they were both down. They got up and traded more forearm shots, then traded spin kicks to the chest. Keith hit a stunner for a nearfall at 17:30, then a sit-out powerbomb. Bailey fired back with a standing moonsault kneedrop and a spin kick to the head for a nearfall. Bailey nailed the Ultima Weapon second-rope moonsault kneedrop, but Keith kicked out, and the crowd chanted, “fight forever!”
Bailey hit a series of kicks, and he set up for the Flamingo Driver, but Keith escaped, got a rollup and a nearfall. Keith hit a running knee but Bailey kicked out at one. Keith nailed a kneestrike to the jaw, then the Tiger Bomb double-arm powerbomb for the clean pin. That was just fantastic. They shook hands after the bell.
* Keith got on the mic but Bailey stole it from him. Bailey put over Keith and said he’s one of the best indy wrestlers on the scene today. Keith then told the crowd “no matter where I go, no matter what I do, I will always represent Texas,” and that earned a nice pop. Good segment to close the show.
Final Thoughts: I decided to watch this show after reading some Twitter comments saying that Bailey vs. Keith was perhaps the best match in New Texas Pro history. I can’t speak to their prior shows, but this was just fantastic. Two of the top guys on the indy scene today. That was easily match of the show, and I can’t fathom anyone putting another match ahead of it. Mysterious Q vs. Titus Alexander was really, really good and earned second place, with the compelling Stephen Wolf-Hyan intergender match taking third place.
I have noted there are a handful of women who can look somewhat believable against men, such as Rachel Ellering, Jordynne Grace, Masha Slamovich or Tessa Blanchard. But Raychell Rose is of average height and weight, probably 130-145 pounds, and is just not believable against a man that much larger than her. I do particularly have a problem with the use of a belt to whip her, too. Rose is a really good wrestler and deserves notice by some of the major promotions. In comparison, Hyan is closer in size to Wolf, and Wolf never hit her with a belt or a chair, so I really don’t think I have a double-standard in liking one intergender match while objecting to the other.
I point out the insane travel schedule of today’s most in-demand indy wrestlers. Bailey and Keith both wrestled Thursday night for Pro Wrestling Revolver in Ohio, then West Coast Pro Wrestling in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, then here on Saturday. Titus Alexander also wrestled Friday for WCPW.
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