By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Beyond Wrestling “Americanrana 23: Perfect Day”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
August 13, 2023 in Worcester, Massachusetts at the White Eagle
This promotion has been building toward this show for a couple months. This crowd is packed, with everyone standing, at maybe 400-500. It’s noticeably larger than a typical Thursday night show here. Willow Nightingale was introduced and she joined the commentary team.
1. Ichiban defeated Ortiz to retain the Wrestling Open Championship at 15:11. Ortiz’ hair has grown out a lot since I last saw him on AEW TV and he got a nice pop. Ichiban wore a red mask and red pants. Standing switches to open and this is a babyface matchup, and a standoff at 2:00. Ichiban hit a Stinger Splash at 4:30 and a series of punches in the corner. Ortiz hit a short-arm clothesline and a DDT for a nearfall at 6:30. Ichiban hit a dropkick and a flip dive to the floor, barreling onto Ortiz. Back in the ring, Ortiz hit a second-rope crossbody block for a nearfall.
Ichiban hit a top-rope superplex, but Ortiz immediately hit a suplex, and they were both down. Ichiban hit a shotgun dropkick and he was fired up. Ortiz hit a dropkick. Ichiban hit a stunner and a handspring elbow, then a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 11:30. Ortiz hit a swinging uranage move for a nearfall. Ichiban hit a Canadian Destroyer, but Ortiz rolled to the floor to avoid being pinned. In the ring, Ortiz hit a powerslam and a flying body press for a believable nearfall at 14:00. Ortiz hit a standing powerbomb for a nearfall. Ichiban nailed a leaping Flatliner for the pin. That was an incredibly good opener.
2. Richard Holliday defeated Brad Hollister at 16:14. Hollister is the guy I describe as Brian Cage-meets-Taz; he’s a short, thick powerhouse. They immediately began trading punches. Holliday hit a bodyslam at 2:30. Hollister hit a suplex and a hard back elbow that dropped Richard, then a German Suplex at 5:00. Holliday hit a series of clotheslines and was fired up. He hit a swinging sideslam for a nearfall at 7:30. He hit a powerslam for a nearfall. Hollister fired back with a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:30, and they were both down.
Hollister hit a top-rope frogsplash for a believable nearfall, and he jawed at the ref. He hit a running knee to the jaw for a nearfall at 12:30. Holliday hit a top-rope crossbody block but Hollister rolled through and got a nearfall. They got back to their feet and traded punches. Hollister applied a rear-naked choke but Holliday escaped. Holliday applied his own rear-naked choke, but Hollister hit a low blow mule kick and a spinning suplex for a believable nearfall at 15:30. Hollister hit another swinging suplex but he made a lazy cover; Holliday hooked the arms, rolled Brad over, and got the pin! Good match. This show is off to a very good start.
3. TJ Crawford defeated Ryan Clancy, Dan Barry, and Dezmond Cole in a four-way at 13:37. This was originally supposed to be Dan Barry vs. Lufisto, but she recently canceled her appearance. All four men are regulars in this building in 2023. Crawford rolled to the floor at the bell, and waved for the others to fight. Basic reversals in the ring from the other three. TJ snuck back in at 3:00 and traded chops with the veteran Barry, and TJ hit some Yes Kicks. Cole (think Ricochet!) hit an enzuigiri on Crawford, and Cole squared off with Clancy while the others were out of the ring. Clancy hit a flying cross-body block at 6:00. Barry hit a German Suplex on Clancy.
Cole hit a Blockbuster for a nearfall. Cole and Barry hit simultaneous enzuigiris and everyone was down at 9:30. Cole hit a flip dive to the floor onto Clancy and TJ. Barry hit an Asai Moonsault onto all three. Clancy dove over the top rope onto all three at 11:30. In the ring, TJ hit a roundhouse kick that dropped Barry. Cole hit a stunner on TJ and a suplex, and h was fired up. Barry hit a stunner and a Gotch-style piledriver on Cole. Clancy hit his side Russian Legsweep (his finisher!) on Barry! However, TJ shoved Clancy to the floor and he jumped on Barry to steal the pin. Good match; these four definitely have familiarity with each other.
4. Matt Makowski defeated Marcus Mathers at 20:07. Makowski has recently returned to wrestling after a lengthy injury absence. Matt has a short beard and he’s nearly bald. Mathers is a rising star in the Northeast scene. Standing switches to open. Mathers hit a dropkick at 2:00 and a flying forearm in the corner, then a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall. Matt began tying up Mathers and he was in control. Matt hit a forearm that dropped Marcus for a nearfall at 6:30. Mathers hit a Canadian Destroyer, and they were both down. Mathers hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 9:00, then a Blue Thunder Bomb, then a Lionsault for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm shots.
Matt applied a sleeper on the mat at 11:30, then he hit a rolling cannonball in the corner. Matt nailed a second-rope superplex, and he applied a Boston Crab, then he hit a running knee for a nearfall. Mathers fired back with a stunner for a nearfall at 14:30. Mathers hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly, but Matt immediately applied a cross-armbreaker. Matt hit a spear for a nearfall at 16:00, then a roundhouse kick to the head that dropped Marcus. Mathers fired back with a stunner and a German Suplex, but Matt rolled to the floor. Mathers nailed a fip dive to the floor at 17:30 and he was fired up. In the ring, he hit a sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall. They fought on the ropes in the corner. Matt suplexed Mathers to the mat and he re-applied the cross-armbreaker, and Mathers tapped out. Good match, and a mild upset.
* Matt Tremont came to ringside and he glared at Makowski, who was still in the ring, as Tremont helped Mathers to the back.
5. “Miracle Generation” Dustin Waller and Kylon King defeated “Gay Best Friends” B3cca and Aaron Rourke at 20:17. Again, Rourke looks like a younger, thinner Malakai Black. MG are rising stars here. I am a big fan of B3cca’s wrestling and overall pop star gimmick, but she is just an average-sized woman and cannot realistically battle King and Waller. Rourke and Waller started, and Dustin hit a dropkick. GBF began stomping on King. King hit a senton on Rourke, then they bodyslammed B3cca onto Rourke at 3:00. B3cca hit a Lungblower on King for a nearfall, and the GBF began working over Kylon in their corner. She hit a Lionsault for a nearfall at 7:00 and a stunner for a nearfall.
B3cca leapt off Rourke’s shoulders and hit a frogsplash for a nearfall at 9:30, but Waller made the save. She leapt onto King’s back and choked him. King hit a double suplex. Waller made the hot tag and hit a crossbody block on B3cca and a flying back elbow on Rourke. King hit a German Suplex on Rourke, and Waller hit a Death Valley Driver and a running Shooting Star Press on Rourke for a nearfall at 11:30. King missed a moonsault; Rourke missed a moonsault. B3cca hit a missile dropkick on King. Rourke slammed B3cca onto King for a nearfall. Waller and B3cca hit simultaneous 450 Splashes at 15:00, and this drew a massive pop. They got up and hit simultaenous kicks to the head, and they were both down.
Waller hit a handspring-back-stunner. Rourke snuck up on Waller and hit a neckbreaker over his knee. King hit a brainbuster on Rourke. B3cca hit a lungblower on King. King and Waller hit a team powerslam move on B3cca for a believable nearfall at 17:00. B3cca accidentally hit Rourke! Waller hit superkicks on B3cca then on Rourke. He went for a double stunner but they blocked it and kicked him in the head. B3cca hit a top-rope stunner on Waller, but King made the save at 18:30. Waller tied Rourke in the Tree of Woe and stomped on his chest. Kong hit a superplex on B3cca; Waller immediately hit the Mamba Splash frogsplash to pin B3cca. This was a blast.
* Next up is the wedding of Love Doug and Little Mean Kathleen. Again, this has been months in the making, and I’m not sure Doug is fully invested in this relationship. As much as I watch wrestling for good matches… who doesn’t love a wrestling wedding? We opened with some footage from prior shows of him wooing her. After the video, we see them setting up the wedding stage and the ring ropes are down. Brother Greatness is our officiant. The wedding party came out: Ted Goodz, then Love Doug is a ridiculous red jacket. LIttle Mean Kathleen came to the ring in a nice wedding gown. Brother Greatness told them they are being married before the hundred in attendance and the … thousands… watching on IWTV (he channeled Foley and noted the cost of IWTV. Funny.)
Time for their personal vows, then it’s time for anyone to object! Out came CPA! He asked them if they are ‘filing together.’ Bobby Orlando and Bryce Donovan brought out the rings. Bryce reminded Doug “these are some of your last moments as a single man!” Bryce then planted a big kiss on Doug! Funny and the crowd loved it. Next out was Puf, the 400-pounder you probably best know from the MJF-Adam Cole workout skit. Sidney Bakabella and Channing Thomas came to the ring next, and Sidney was upset that Channing got bumped from having a match for “this stupid wedding.” The crowd immediately chanted, “it’s not stupid!” Bakabella said Doug hits on every woman and said, “you are nothing but a whore!” Sidney said he could prove LMK doesn’t love him. Kathleen immediately hit a low blow uppercut on Doug! The crowd chanted, “what the f**k?” The heels in the ring then beat up the babyfaces! The crowd booed this development. Sidney then dropped to one knee and gave a ring to Kathleen, and she accepted. Brother Greatness then served as officiant for the Sidney-Kathleen wedding.
* An intermission was edited out, so we return to action and the ring ropes are back up!
6. Atticus Cogar, Bobby Beverly, and Eric Ryan defeated “The Calling” Akira, Delirious, and Rickey Shane Page at 17:48. I have seen RSP several times and Cogar maybe three times but I don’t know the others. Delirious, of course, went crazy at the bell; his squad has been teaming up on Major League Wrestling. He battled the short, bald Eric Ryan. Akira and Beverly entered at 2:30 and traded blows. RSP and Cogar brawled at 4:30. RSP’s team began working over Beverly. Delirious hit a chokeslam-style powerbomb at 8:30, then he slammed Akira onto Ryan, and this is by-and-large a basic beatdown. Ryan finally hit a suplex on Akira and they were both down at 12:30.
Cogar and Page entered and they traded more punches. Beverly accidentally hit Ryan, and Cogar accidentally hit Beverly. Akira hit a top-rope senton, and Delirious hit the top-rope Shadows Over Hell backsplash. Cogar hit a Lionsault at 15:30. Delirious bit Cogar’s leg and he hit a pumphandle powerslam for a nearfall. Akira hit a German Suplex on Beverly. Akira hit a Lungblower on Eric Ryan. Ryan completely missed a springboard DDT on Page. Cogar hit a bulldog driver on Page for the pin. I just didn’t like this; it didn’t get out of first gear until the final minutes, with several prolonged beatdown segments before hot tags. I am surprised at the outcome, as I presumed the MLW team would go over.
7. Krule defeated Sawyer Wreck in an intergender match at 5:52. Sawyer is a 6-footer but Krule has three or four inches on her, and a SIGNIFICANT muscle mass advantage, so this is going to be a tough sell. She threw a chair at him, hit a missile dropkick, and immediately hit him with the chair. Krule slammed her face-first on an open chair and that looked painful. Krule hit a fallaway slam, tossing her through a door in the corner for a nearfall at 3:00. She hit a rolling Death Valley Driver through a different door in the corner for a nearfall. She hit a superplex for a nearfall at 5:30. He set up for a chokeslam but instead slammed her face-first to the mat for the pin. The right outcome, as she put up a good fight but he ultimately won, in fairly quick fashion.
8. Alec Price defeated Matt Tremont to win the IWTV World Championship at 16:34. Price, ever a road warrior, just returned from GCW in Los Angeles on Friday. I’ve noted this before, but hardcore brawler Tremont is looking more and more like Big Van Vader, and he has a size and weight advantage. Tremont hit some hip tosses and a Stinger Splash in the first minute, showing off his size. He began jabbing Price in the forehead with a fork at 1:30 and I hate to see this. Price jabbed a weapon into Tremont’s forehead and he hit a flying crossbody block. He set up for a dive to the floor but Tremont used a table to block Price at 4:00. Tremont is already gushing blood from his forehead, and they brawled on the floor, with Tremont wiping his own blood on Price’s back. Just gross.
Price hit a dive over the top rope onto Tremont at 8:30. Price got some cement blocks from under the ring. In the ring, Tremont hit a fallaway slam at 10:30. Suddenly a bunch of wrestlers appeared at ringside, pounding on the mat and rallying Price. Price hit a dropkick and he used a staple gun on Tremont’s forehead and chest. Yuck and gross. Tremont slammed Price back-first through a table in the corner at 13:00. The crowd was hot and totally into this. Price hit an X-Factor onto the cinder blocks, then a second-rope Blockbuster for a believable nearfall at 16:00. Price nailed his step-up Mule Kick to the head for the pin! New champion! Tremont snatched the belt from Price’s hands, but then he put the belt around Price’s waist.
* Krule walked out from the back, and he held up his IWTV belt as well. Maybe a title vs. title match down the road? Price got on the mic and said he started out at the White Eagle five years, and he’s now made it to the top! He said he’s never losing the title. He put over Kylon King, Dustin Waller and Ichiban, who were standing at ringside. Those three joined him in the ring, and they all posed with their title belts. King put Price on his shoulders, and the crowd chanted “Wrestling Open!” as the show came to a close.
Final Thoughts: I’ll go with the show opener Ichiban-Ortiz for best, Mathers-Makowski for second, and Rourke/B3cca-Miracle Generation for third, with Hollister-Holliday for honorable mention. If you like hardcore stuff, that main event will probably entertain you. I will reiterate that the live crowd was totally into that main event and the drama of a Price overcoming a man who probably has a 100-pound weight advantage.
I want to point out what B3cca did right here. I just can’t buy into it when a man and a much smaller woman trade hard chops or forearm shots, when it just isn’t believable. They wisely never had that type of exchange here. B3cca hit some kicks and generally hit moves that I found believable offense against the men. This was a good show, and at almost four hours, it was an exceptionally long show, and that’s with some edits before and after the wedding, so these fans were there quite a while. Check it out at IWTV.
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