By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, Impact Wrestling, MLW, ROH, GCW, and other notable live events. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com
West Coast Pro Wrestling “West Coast Cup 2023 Night Two”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
August 11, 2023 in San Francisco, California at The State Room
The first round took place on Thursday (my review of night one is also available on the site). This show features the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. Unfortunately, I learned who won the tournament inadvertently, but I don’t know any other results, so I purposely didn’t look at the match lineup, as the brackets are a mystery. Veda Scott and James Kincaid provide commentary. Attendance again appears to be in the 300 range. (I have done a basic description of every wrestler here in my night 1 review so I am not repeating it now.)
1. Starboy Charlie defeated Jay Malachi in a quarterfinal match at 9:45. No sound until 1:30 as they traded basic reversals early; they had sound issues on night 1 as well but got them worked out. Charlie hit a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall. Jay hit a dropkick for a nearfall. They brawled to the floor; Jay leapt over two rows of chairs, showing off his insane jumping ability. In the ring, they traded forearm shots, and Charlie dropped Jay at 7:00.
Charlie hit a Pele Kick. Jay hit a dive to the floor that the cameras completely missed. In the ring, Charlie hit a Reverse Rana, and he went for a spin kick, but Jay caught him with a stunner. Charlie hit a shotgun dropkick, then a basement dropkick in the corner, but he missed a second-rope corkscrew press. Charlie hit a piledriver for the pin. Jay rightfully got a “please come back!” chant. Good match, marred by the bad audio and some missed camera spots.
2. Vinnie Massaro defeated Kevin Blackwood (w/Alan Angels) in a quarterfinal match at 10:19. Vinnie is the over-the-top Italian gimmick and I admittedly am not a fan. As Vinnie walked to ringside, he wass attacked by a masked man, who then took the mask off, revealing to be Blackwood’s partner, Alan Angels. In the ring, Blackwood hit a pair of Pele Kicks on the shoulder, and Vinnie sold an arm injury. Blackwood hit some Yes Kicks to the chest. Massaro hit a suplex for a nearfall at 5:30. Blackwood hit a doublestomp and worked the left arm. Massaro hit a powerbomb for a nearfall.
Blackwood came off the top rope at 9:30 but landed awkwardly and sold a leg injury. Angels hopped in the ring but Massaro saw him and punched him. However, it allowed Blackwood to hit a top-rope doublestomp for a believable nearfall. Massaro hit the Snoring Elbow out of nowhere for the pin. Okay match; I just don’t see ‘it’ in Vinnie.
3. Alpha Zo defeated Shigehiro Irie in a quarterfinals match at 9:07. They traded shoulder tackles early. Irie hit his slingshot splash off the ropes for a nearfall at 2:30. Zo took control, hitting a kneestrike to the head while leaping to the floor. Irie hit three running cannonballs in the corner for a nearfall at 6:30. Zo hit a Spin Cycle spinning sideslam. Zo then hit a diving elbow strike for the pin. Zo sold some injuries and was helped out of the ring; Veda speculated that there wouldn’t be enough time for him to recover before his next tournament match.
4. Bryan Keith defeated Mike Bailey in a quarterfinals match at 13:47. I’ve seen these two square off at least two times before; Veda would later say this was their fourth meeting. They shook hands and glared at each other. Bailey hit a spin kick and Veda acknowledged that “these two know each other well.” They traded mid-ring forearm shots. They fought out of the ring and onto a short stage, where Keith hit a DDT at 3:00, and Bailey sold the impact of the move. Bailey hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor. In the ring, Bailey dropped Keith stomach-first across the top rope, then he hit a top-rope kneestrike to the back, and Bailey took control of the offense. Bailey hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip, then he applied the Trailer Hitch leglock at 6:30.
Bailey hit a stunner, then an Exploder Suplex into the corner at 8:30. Bailey hit a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall. They traded mid-ring chops and kicks. Bailey hit his Speedball kicks to the ribs and thighs. Bailey went for the Tornado Kick, but missed. He missed Ultima Weapon too, but he nailed his springboard moonsault to the floor, and both were down at 11:00. They traded spin kicks on the ring apron, and Bailey hit a moonsault kneedrop on the apron. In the ring, Keith hit a jumping headbutt in the corner, then a top-rope superplex at 13:00. Keith went for the Tiger Driver but Bailey turned it into a huracanrana for a nearfall. Bailey hit a moonsault kneedrop. Keith nailed the Tiger Driver powerbomb for the pin. A very good match.
* An intermission was edited out. Kincaid and Veda talked about Zo’s injury. Starboy Charlie came out for his next match. Matchmaker Chris Hero came out, presumably to say that Alpha Zo couldn’t compete. However, Zo walked past Hero, got in the ring, and demanded the match start. However, Zo’s ribs are taped.
5. Starboy Charlie defeated Alpha Zo in a semifinal match at 10:07. Charlie seemed hesitant to take advantage of the injured Zo. Charlie hit a dropkick and a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 1:30. Charlie charged forward, but Zo caught him and hit a uranage for a nearfall. Zo hit a pump-handle overhead release suplex, tossing Charlie across the ring and he rolled to the floor. Zo hit a clothesline, and they were both down at 4:30. Charlie hit some punches to the gut, drawing some boos. Charlie hit a Thesz Press and some punches. He hit some kneedrops along the waist and got booed some more.
Charlie went for a handspring-back-move, but Zo caught him with a German Suplex at 8:30. Charlie hit a shotgun dropkick and a basement dropkick, then the second-rope corkscrew press three times! He then applied a crossface; Charlie hasn’t cheated but the crowd is not happy with his aggression in this match. Zo tapped out to the crossface; Charlie let go and stomped to the back, unhappy with the crowd’s reaction to the match.
6. Bryan Keith defeated Vinnie Massaro via ref stoppage in a semifinal match at 6:25. They immediately traded mid-ring forearm shots. Keith hit an Exploder, so Vinnie hit one. They repeated this three more times. Keith hit a Mafia Kick. Massaro hit a powerbomb move for a nearfall at 4:00. Keith hit an enzuigiri, then a modified Blockbuster out of the corner for a nearfall. Massaro went for a Burning Hammer bt Keith broke free. Keith hit a running knee to the head. The ref checked on Massaro and ruled he was knocked out and called for the bell. Keith acted surprised at the outcome but this all seems kayfabe. And this gives Vinnie an ‘out’ for not being pinned or submitting.
7. 1 Called Manders, Jordan Oasis, Viento, Serza, JT Thorne, and Max the Impaler defeated Derek Dillinger, Alan Angels, Sean Legacy, Ricky Gee, Danny Rose, and Johnnie Robbie in a 12-person tag at 15:11. All eight competitors that lost in the first round are in this match. I don’t think I’ve seen the bald, bushy-bearded Oasis before. (I personally would have slotted this match between the quarterfinals and semifinals.) Thorne and Angels opened. Viento hit a split-legged moonsault at 2:00. They all brawled to the floor. In the ring, Oasis hit a German Suplex on Robbie that popped the crowd at 5:30 because she landed with such a loud noise. Angels’ team worked over Oasis.
Manders made a hot tag at 9:00 and he battled the equally big Dillinger; that’s a singles match I’d like to see. They did a multi-person submission spot, until Max knocked them all down at 11:00. Funny. Viento and Oasis hit stereo flip dives to the floor onto everyone. In the ring, Max hit a spear on Dillinger and a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall at 13:30. Max hit a double back suplex on Rose and Gee, then Max tossed Robbie onto Rose and Gree. Rose, Gee and Robbie left, bailing on their team! Thorne applied a Fujiwara Armbar on Dillinger, who tapped out. Okay match with most everyone getting a chance to show off some of their offense. (That said, I don’t recall Serza spending more than a few seconds in the ring.)
8. Titus Alexander defeated Kevin Knight to retain the WCPW Heavyweight Title at 18:20. Knight wore gray pants today, not his usual orange. Titus rolled to the floor at the bell and stalled. They locked up in the ring, but Titus raked the eyes and took control. Knight hit his mid-ring splash for a nearfall at 5:30. They fought to the floor, with Titus in charge, hitting a suplex onto the ring apron at 7:30. In the ring, Titus hit a backbreaker over his knee at 9:30, then a dropkick for a nearfall. Knight hit a Frankensteiner for a nearfall.
Titus hit a handspring-back-stunner for a nearfall, and they were both down at 12:00. Knight hit a stunner, and Titus rolled to the floor to avoid being pinned. Titus nailed an impressive flip dive to the floor on Knight. Titus hit a top-rope missile dropkick and they traded clotheslines, and were both down at 15:00. They got up and traded forearm shots. Knight hit a D’Lo Sky High slam, then his spike DDT, but Titus again rolled to the floor before he could be pinned. So, Knight hit a flip dive to the floor on him at 17:00. In the ring, Knight went for a springboard move but Titus caught him with a dropkick (the timing wasn’t perfect on this one.) Titus hit a German Suplex for a nearfall, then the Sweet Time Driver/Michinoku Driver for the pin. That was really good.
* The West Coast Cup, which appears to be about 18 inches tall, was set in the middle of the ring.
9. Starboy Charlie defeated Bryan Keith to win the West Pro Cup at 16:57. Charlie showed heelish tendencies in his last match without actually cheating; I expect him to go full heel by the end of this match. Charlie came out first to a mixed reaction, and he dove onto Keith as he approached the ring. Charlie hit an Asai Moonsault outside the ring, then a missile dropkick in the ring, and he grounded Keith. He applied a mid-ring Octopus at 2:00. Keith hit a dropkick on Charlie’s left knee and he began targeting it. Charlie hit a Thesz Press with some punches at 5:30. He hit a dropkick that Keith no-sold, so Charlie hit a harder shotgun dropkick that sent Keith into the corner. Charlie hit his second-rope corkscrew splash for a nearfall.
They fought on the ring apron, where Charlie hit some spin kicks at 7:30, then a Sliced Bread, and they both rolled to the floor; Keith barely rolled back in before being counted out. Charlie immediately applied a crossface. They fought to the floor, where Keith hit a superkick, then he suplexed Charlie into the ring post at 11:00! That drew a “holy shit!” chant. In the ring, Keith set up for the Tiger Driver but Charlie blocked it. Keith hit a hard kneestrike to the jaw for a nearfall, as Kincaid noted that is what knocked out Massaro earlier. Keith hit a spin kick in the corner. Charlie hit a cartwheel-into-a-Pele Kick. Keith hit a Tower of London stunner, then his modified Blockbuster at 14:00.
Keith hit another kneestrike to the jaw, then he hit the Tiger Driver powerbomb for a believable nearfall, and Keith was livid he didn’t get the pin there. Charlie blocked a second Tiger Driver. They traded slaps to the face. Charlie hit a Poison Rana, then the spin kick, then a piledriver, then the second-rope corkscrew splash for a believable nearfall. Charlie re-applied the crossface, and he turned it into a Rings of Saturn, and Keith submitted! A very good match, and Charlie never did resort to cheating. He has earned a title shot with the win.
* Several wrestlers from the locker room came out “to celebrate” but they aren’t exactly putting him on their shoulders. Charlie shoved Keith rather than shake his hand! That drew even more boos. Kincaid was baffled by Charlie’s childish antics.
Final Thoughts: Well, I wish I hadn’t learned Charlie had won the tournament, but I wasn’t terribly surprised, either, as he’s been a top star in this promotion. The main event does earn best match, with Titus-Knight for second, and Keith-Bailey for third place. A good show, although the quarterfinal matches were generally a bit on the short side, which stopped them from becoming memorable. Again, the sound issues got worked out inside the first two minutes. This was a very good two days of action, and I liked that they brought in some really good top-notch talent from outside the area. This show can be seen on IWTV.
Be the first to comment