By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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West Coast Pro Wrestling “Cruel Summer 2023”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
July 8, 2023 in San Francisco, California, at the United Irish Cultural Center
The crowd appears in the 400-500 range. This show is available on IWTV.
1. Iah Jewell, JT Thorne, Kubes, and Serza defeated Action Braxton, Fresco, Ice Williams, and Waton at 8:31. Braxton’s team are all Black men and wore similar T-shirts. Kubes is white and wore plaid red trunks. Serza is Black. Thorne is a recent graduate from their school and he’s still awfully green. Decent action with everyone flowing in and out of the match, and everyone hitting a finisher, only for someone to break it up. Serza hit a Rollins-style Stomp for the pin. I liked the effort, although they all have a lot to learn.
2. Robert Martyr defeated Kevin Blackwood at 10:18. I’ve written this before, but I just don’t see ‘it’ in Robert Martyr; I haven’t seen anything that makes him special … if I was a promoter, I wouldn’t pay to fly him cross-country for my show. At this same time Blackwood was appearing here, he was being “drafted” to MLW on their live event. They traded intense mat holds to open. Blackwood hit a Mafia Kick for a nearfall at 3:30, and he took control. He hit a German Suplex, then a second, then a doublestomp to the chest. Martyr hit a second-rope clothesline, then a suplex into the corner and a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 7:00.
Martyr hit a standing powerbomb and a piledriver for a nearfall. He went for a sunset flip but Blackwood hit a doublestomp to the chest, then a Buckle Bomb and a decapitating clothesline. Blackwood hit a Tombstone Piledriver for a believable nearfall at 9:00, and Kevin was surprised he didn’t get the win. They got up and traded stiff forearm shots. Martyr got a fluke rollup for the pin out of nowhere. Good action; I liked this more than most Martyr matches I’ve seen.
3. “Magenta” Maria and Riko Kawahata defeated Johnny Robbie and Nicole Savoy at 11:37. Savoy was retired for a year, but this is her third straight month back in action, so I’m really hoping her retirement talks are over; she came out last and got a huge pop. Maria and Riko are Japanese and they danced on the way to the ring and showed great energy. Robbie has long black hair; I’ve seen her here a few times now. Robbie and Maria started; Maria is wearing silver/white. Robbie hit a Shotgun dropkick.
Riko, dressed in red, tagged in and fought Savoy at 2:00. Savoy bodyslammed (partner!) Robbie onto Riko. Riko hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall at 4:30. Robbie hit a backbreaker over her knee. Riko hit a German Suplex. Maria got back in and tied Savoy in an Octopus, but Savoy freed herself and hit a slam for a nearfall at 6:30. Maria hit a half-nelson suplex for a nearfall, then she applied a cross-armbreaker, but Savoy reached the ropes. Savoy fired back with a fisherman’s suplex at 9:00.
Maria caught Savoy with a running kick to the jaw for a nearfall. That looked stiff. Rikohit a springboard spin kick for a nearfall at 11:00. Maria hit a Michinoku Driver for the pin! I didn’t see that coming; really thought we had a hot tag coming. Good match.
4. Bryan Keith defeated Mao at 16:11. As I noted in a different review; Mao rhymes with “now” and he has short, messy hair. They immediately traded stiff forearms and chops. They traded Mafia Kicks at 2:30, and brawled to the floor, and we can see the crowd is larger than I initially thought. Mao stood on top of a tavern bar and hit a moonsault to the floor at 5:00, drawing a huge pop. In the ring, Mao hit a top-rope kneedrop to the lower back, and he applied a mid-ring Octopus.
Keith hit a suplex into the corner, and he seized control, tying up Mao on the mat. Mao hit a Split-Legged Moonsault for a nearfall at 9:00. Keith hit a neckbreaker over his knee and an Exploder Suplex, then a stunner. Mao hit his own flying stunner, and they were both down. Mao climbed the ropes, but Keith hit a leaping headbutt! Keith then nailed a second-rope Exploder Suplex, but the lights went out! When they came back on, Yoshikiko was in the ring and chokeslammed Keith! We had some silly humor with the doll attacking Keith. Keith fired up and hit some forearms, then a high back suplex on Mao.
Keith beat up the mannequin, drawing some boos, and he threw the doll from the ring at 15:00. We are back to serious action, and Keith hit an enzuigiri; Mao fired back with a tornado kick for a nearfall. Mao hit a jumping knee to the jaw. Keith nailed the Tiger Driver/butterfly powerbomb for the clean pin. That was really good. I personally can do without the Yoshikiko silliness, but the crowd enjoyed it.
* Quick backstory: Jeff Cobb’s original opponent dropped out last month, and Alpha Zo requested to fill in. Matchmaker Chris Hero agreed and gave Zo the opportunity.
5) Jeff Cobb defeated Alpha Zo at 13:07. Cobb has a little bit of green in his hair. Zo is a thick Black man; not fat but thick. They actually looked to be same height; I would have guessed Cobb is taller, and they opened with intense mat holds. Cobb did a leapfrog and dropkick at 1:30, popping the crowd for his agility. Zo hit a Superman punch and running boots in the corner. Zo hit an impressive pumphandle back suplex for a nearfall at 4:00. Cobb hit a series of shoulder lunges to the gut into the corner, then a release back suplex. Cobb hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 6:00.
Zo fired back with a punch to the jaw and a three German Suplexes for a nearfall. Zo hit a boot to the chest and a running forearm at 8:00. Cobb fired back with the Spin Cycle slam, but he only got a one-count. Zo hit a jumping knee to the chin, then his own Spin Cycle, but Cobb rolled to the floor. Zo followed to the floor, but Cobb hit a back suplex onto the hardwood floor and they were both down at 10:30. Zo barely got back in the ring before being counted out. They stood nose to nose, actually touching foreheads, and traded stiff forearm shots, and Cobb has a bloody nose.
They hit simultaneous clotheslines. Zo hit another German Suplex; Cobb hit a T-Bone Suplex, then the Tour of the Islands swinging powerslam for the pin. That was really, really good, and easily the best I’ve seen from Alpha Zo; he certainly stepped up here against a very well-known opponent.
6. Starboy Charlie and “The Jet Setters” Kushida and Kevin Knight defeated Adrian Quest and “Los Suavecitos” Danny Rose and Ricky Gee at 13:20. Gee and Rose are Latino and have similar features; Rose is shorter. All six fought at the bell, with Kushida’s team hitting stereo dropkicks, then dives to the floor. In the ring, Kushida tied up Quest on the mat, and the babyfaces worked Quest over. Charlie hit a running Shoot Star Press at 3:00. The heels began stomping on Charlie and working him over. Gee slammed Rose onto Charlie for a nearfall at 5:30.
Kushida finally made the hot tag at 8:00 and he cleared the ring. He hit a basement dropkick on Rose’s face. Knight hit his jump-up dropkick as Rose was on Kushida’s shoulders. So impressive. Charlie hit a Lungblower move and a Pele Kick. Rose hit a nice springboard crossbody block on Charlie for a nearfall at 10:00. Charlie hit a second-rope corkscrew press for a nearfall. Knight hit a double Pele Kick. Rose hit a Swanton Bomb. Quest hit a top-rope 450 Splash on Knight for a nearfall at 12:00. Charlie hit a crossbody block to the floor. Knight hit a jump-up Frankensteiner, then his spike DDT for the pin. Good match.
7. Masha Slamovich defeated Trish Adora to retain the WCPW Women’s Title at 13:15. Both got babyface reactions, and they shook hands. They opened with mat reversals, and this has a big fight feel to it. Masha hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall at 3:30. Adora tied up Masha on the mat. Masha applied a half crab at 7:00, but Adora reached the ropes. Masha hit a doublestomp on the stomach at 9:00. Trish fired up and hit repeated buttbumps in the corner, then a powerbomb for a nearfall. Masha hit a spinning back fist. Trish ducked a spin kick to the head, and she nailed a German Suplex for a nearfall at 11:00. Nice sequence.
Adora nailed a pump kick to the chest and a senton for a nearfall. Masha switched to a Fujiwara Armbar and cranked back, but Trish reached the ropes. Masha yanked Trish right back to the middle of the ring with the armbar still locked in, but Trish was able to power out. However, Masha immediately nailed the White Knight Driver/piledriver; she slapped the Fujiwara Armbar back on, and this time, Adora tapped out. As good of a women’s match as you’ll see on the indy scene. Bravo to both of them.
8. Titus Alexander defeated Vinnie Massaro to retain the WCPW Heavyweight Title at 26:39. Massaro is the heavyset guy who wears a singlet and reminds me of Hugh Morrus, hiding his gut; he is an over-the-top Italian gimmick and I admittedly am not a fan. It isn’t said enough, but Titus is such a great heel. Vinnie was in charge early and hit a series of European Uppercuts. Titus hit a basement dropkick, then a dive through the ropes at 3:00, and they brawled on the floor. Titus gave the crowd the middle finger and a crotch chop.
Titus hit a Pele Kick to the shoulder as Vinnie was re-entering the ring, and Titus began working over the right arm. Vinnie hit a dropkick at 8:00 but he kept selling the pain in his arm. He hit a Superman Punch in the corner, then a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. He applied a modified Koji Clutch on the mat at 11:00, but Titus reached the ropes. Titus hit a dropkick and an impressive flip dive to the floor. In the ring, Titus hit a handspring-back-stunner, then a brainbuster for a believable nearfall, and they were both down at 13:00.
Vinnie hit a German Suplex; Titus hit a jumping knee to the jaw; Vinnie hit a clothesline, sending Titus rolling to the floor, and the crowd chanted “West Coast!” They fought on the ring apron, where Vinnie hit a suplex at 15:30, drawing a “holy shit!” chant. In the ring, Titus hit a superkick to the back of the head. Vinnie hit a Burning Hammer that dropped Titus HARD on the top of his head for a believable nearfall. That looked scary. Titus hit a piledriver and a roaring elbow for a believable nearfall at 18:30. Vinnie hit a Samoa Joe-style Muscle Buster for a believable nearfall, and they were both down.
Titus fired back with a Poison Rana at 22:00. Kevin Blackwood ran to ringside and gave Titus his title belt. However, Vinnie hit a forearm shot on Titus before he could use it, and Massaro got a nearfall. Massaro swung at Blackwood; it allowed Titus to hit the Chaos Theory rolling German Suplex for a nearfall. Vinnie hit a roaring elbow for a believable nearfall. Titus hit hard chops that just angered Vinnie, and Vinnie responded with some hard open-hand slaps to the face. Titus hit a Canadian Destroyer and a superkick, then two Sweet Time Drivers/Michinoku Drivers for the pin.
* Kevin Knight appeared on the entrance ramp and he made the motion to his waist, indicating he wants a title shot!
Final Thoughts: A really strong show. I really enjoyed the shorter Masha-Adora match, and I’ll narrowly give that best match. Cobb-Zo was really good to earn second place, and I’ll go with Mao-Keith for third. The main event was good, but I just never bought into Massaro as a realistic challenger for the title. I would consider only the opener to be below average, as the rest of this show really delivered. Check out all West Coast Pro Wrestling shows at IWTV.
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