By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Defy Wrestling “Pantheon”
Replay available via Wremix.tv
November 18, 2023 from Seattle, Washington at Washington Hall
This show was released for free at on Thursday. This is the second consecutive night here as part of a crossover with the GCW roster. The lights were low and lighting over the ring is merely okay. There was a huge crowd, as they always sell this out with maybe 500-600 fans. Rich Bocchini provided solo commentary.
1. Cody Chhun defeated Gringo Loco to win the Primolucha Championship at 14:23. This crowd was HOT before these two even tied up. A feeling-out process early on. Loco shook his hand at 5:00 but then chopped him to the mat and was booed. They brawled into the front row. Loco powerbombed Chhun onto the ring apron at 7:00. In the ring, Loco hit a top-rope splash for a nearfall, then a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. Cody fired up and hit some jab punches, then a DDT for a nearfall at 11:00. Loco hit a top-rope Spanish Fly for a believable nearfall at 13:30, but he missed a top-rope corkscrew splash. Cody immediately hit a running knee for a nearfall, then a second-rope fadeaway stunner for the pin. New champion! Good match. Bocchini said it is Chhun’s first title in Defy.
2. “Bollywood Boyz” Harv Sihra and Gurv Sihra defeated Curry Man and Effy to retain the Defy Tag Team Titles at 10:28. Again, this Curry Man is not Christopher Daniels. Lengthy entrances shown for everyone. GCW regular ref Scarlett Donovan worked the match. (If there was any doubt this isn’t Daniels, Curry Man removed his shirt before the bell and he doesn’t have the Ankh tattoo on his chest.) He opened against Harv and it was all comedy. Effy and Gurv entered at 2:00. Effy did a modified Tarantula in the ropes, and we had a lot of Effy’s lewd sexual banter. Harv got on the mic and said “I don’t think anyone came here to see us fight. They want to see you do a Bollywood dance!” Effy and Curry Man danced together, but then the Sihras attacked them at 7:00 and were booed. Effy hit a double Blockbuster, then a Mafia Kick on Harv, then on Gurv. Harv hit his Demolition-style elbow drop to pin Curry Man. Not much for action but the crowd was thoroughly entertained.
3. Sebastian Wolfe defeated Matt Brannigan at 5:26. Brannigan is the muscular Lenny Lane clone, and this is his Defy debut. I’m used to seeing him in Ohio/Indiana so he’s a long way from home. Wolfe is a former Defy tag champ but I’m fairly unfamiliar with him. He looks like Lance Archer, if Lance were 5’11”, and he got a nice “welcome back!” chant. Bocchini acknowledged that Brannigan is from Dayton, Ohio, but is now based in Seattle. They took turns twisting each other’s nipples. Wolfe hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 5:00. Brannigan hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Wolfe hit a spear for the pin. Solid match.
4. Schaff defeated Jordan Oliver to retain the Pacific Northwest Title at 9:40. Oliver came out first and he didn’t have his JCW title; he always seems to lose when he doesn’t have it! Schaff charged into the ring and attacked Oliver and stomped on him. Schaff got on the mic and said this is no-DQ, anything goes! Again, Schaff is on par in size with Jake Something; he’s pretty massive and much thicker than Oliver, who is by no means scrawny! Schaff hit some loud chops on the floor. Oliver hit a second-rope Clout Cutter to the floor at 3:00 and they were both down. In the ring, Schaff hit a chairshot across the back at 5:30. Oliver nailed a Helluva Kick in the corner. Oliver hit a Frankensteiner, then a Plancha to the floor. He nailed the Clout Cutter for a believable nearfall at 8:30 and they were both down. Oliver hit a superkick, then his Cleopatra stunner. Schaff fired back with a chokeslam and a sit-out powerbomb for the pin. That was really entertaining.
* Backstage, Schaff cut an expletive-laced promo. He said he’s tired of being attacked from behind, so his matches will now be no rules. “Fight me like a man!” he shouted. He called out Matt Cardona for tweeting that he’s a nobody.
5. Vert Vixen defeated Allie Katch to retain the Defy Women’s Title at 17:32. Mat wrestling to open and Allie applied a leglock around Vert’s head. Vert hit a dropkick at 4:00 and a hard clothesline in the corner. They fought in the corner. Allie hit a scoop slam and they were both down at 8:30. Allie hit a second-rope brainbuster and they were both down at 11:00. Vert dove through the ropes onto Allie. Back in the ring, Vert hit a stunner and a Mafia Kick, then a Blue Thunder Bomb for a believable nearfall at 13:00. These two have built this match nicely.
They traded rollups. Katch hit a headbutt and a piledriver for a believable nearfall at 15:30. She set up for the piledriver in the ropes but Vert blocked it. They brawled to the floor, where Vert hit the Trash Compactor piledriver along her back. She rolled Allie into the ring but only got a two-count. She hit a running knee to the jaw for another nearfall. The crowd loudly chanted “This is awesome!” Vert finally hit a brainbuster to score the pin. One of the better women’s matches I’ve seen on the indies in a long time.
6. Guillermo Rosas defeated Thiccy Riccy at 8:47. I’ve never seen Riccy before, but if he had blond hair instead, he would be the same as El Phantasmo. He has the same short curly hair and charisma. Some posing and a feeling-out process. Riccy hit a huracanrana at 3:30, and he took control. He missed a standing moonsault and they were both down at 7:00. Riccy hit a dropkick; Rosas hit a clothesline, fired up, and ripped down the straps of his singlet. Rosas hit a sit-out powerbomb and a brainbuster for the pin. Okay match; the crowd was really into it.
7. “Sovereign” Judas Icarus and Evan Rivers and Travis Williams defeated Mike Bailey and Nick Gage and Artemis Spencer at 20:59. Gage and Rivers opened. Bailey and Icarus entered and traded fast reversals; these two just had a stellar singles match a month ago. Artemis entered and hit a back suplex on Williams for a nearfall at 3:30. These six have opened at a very fast pace. Williams hit a snap suplex on Artemis for a nearfall, and Sovereign began working Spencer over in their corner. Bailey finally made the hot tag at 9:00 and nailed his Speedball kicks to the ribs and thighs of Rivers, then his series of kicks and a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall. Rivers hit a standing powerbomb.
Icarus tagged in and hit a running Mafia Kick on Bailey, then a diving forearm to the back of the head. They traded some more intense offense, with Icarus hitting a clothesline and they were both down at 12:00 and this crowd was HOT for this action. Gage made the hot tag and he hit some back elbows on each heel. Everyone starting fighting on the floor. Bailey hit a snap suplex. (It is woefully dark on the floor and hard to see.) Williams and Gage traded chops in the shadows. Rivers hit a dive to the floor. In the ring, Williams hit a Tower of London stunner on Gage for a believable nearfall at 15:30.
Bailey hit his Triangle Moonsault to the floor. Spencer hit a senton off the top rope. Spencer hit a Spiral Tap/top-rope corkscrew senton for a believable nearfall at 19:00. Bailey hit his Tornado Kick. Spencer hit a Lungblower. Bailey hit the Ultima Weapon on Williams for a believable nearfall, but Rivers made the save, and the crowd loudly chanted “This is awesome!” The referee got bumped and the heels immediately hit low blow uppercuts. Williams hit a hard clothesline on Gage. Rivers hit a sidewinder suplex on Spencer and was loudly booed. Williams hit a Jay Driller to pin Spencer. That was really fun. (It also is comical how little time Gage was actually in the ring.)
* Backstage, Sovereign boasted about their victory. I don’t think I’ve heard Icarus before; he’s from Canada but sounds British to me.
8. Kenta defeated Joey Janela to retain the Defy Title at 34:50. They opened in a knucklelock and standing switches. Janela has a taped thigh; Bocchini reminded us that Joey had a 40-minute match a night earlier against Bailey. Kenta focused on that damaged left leg and kicked at it. He tied up Janela’s leg on the mat, and the crowd rallied for Joey. Joey nailed a dive through the ropes at 12:00, and they fought in the shadows on the floor. Janela hit a running knee as Kenta was seated on a chair. In the ring, Janela nailed a Brainbuster at 15:00. Kenta hit a running kick to the damaged knee and he applied a Figure Four Leglock.
Kenta hit some Dragonscrew Legwhips at 18:00. Janela fired back with a superplex and they were both down at 20:00. and the crowd loudly chanted, “Both these guys!” They again brawled to the floor and over onto a stage. Kenta hit a DDT onto an open chair. Janela got back in the ring at 24:30 before being counted out. Kenta immediately hit a Helluva Kick. They traded punches on the ring apron, and Joey hit a Death Valley Driver onto the ring apron, with them both crashing to the floor at 27:00. Janela set up a door bridge on the floor.
In the ring, Kenta hit a running knee. He placed Joey on the door bridge on the floor, and he nailed a top-rope doublestomp to the chest at 30:30! In the ring, Kenta hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest for a believable nearfall. He set up for Go To Sleep but Janela fought free. They traded forearm strikes. Kenta dropped him with an open-hand slap to the face. Janela caught Kenta with three straight superkicks for a nearfall, and they were both down at 33:00. Janela nailed a Package Piledriver but didn’t go for a cover. Janela set up for a Burning Hammer but Kenta landed on his feet. They traded rolling forearm strikes. Kenta finally got Janela on his shoulders and nailed the Go To Sleep kneestrike for the pin. A very good match that built nicely throughout.
Final Thoughts: Sure, the first 10 minutes didn’t have much action at all, but Kenta and Janela built that match nicely and had a really hot second half of that match. The six-man tag was a blast and earns second. I’m all for a Bailey-Judas rematch. The women’s match was really good and hammers home my point that Allie doesn’t need to be beating up bigger, stronger men in absurd intergender matches, because she looked great here. The Schaff-Oliver match and Loco-Chhun match were strong for honorable mention. Again, this show aired for free and I highly recommend checking out Defy.
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