By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Jersey Championship Wrestling “BattleBowl”
Replay available via YouTube.com
December 31, 2023 in Atlantic City, New Jersey at The Showboat
The crowd is maybe 100. Carmen Michael and Veda Scott provided commentary. Michael is from Alabama, and there are a significant number of southern talents on this show.
The show opened with Emil Jay and Jordan Castle in the ring, and they have a tumbler; are we having a legit lottery for BattleBowl? Castle said there are 32 names in the tumbler. They began pulling names out of the tumbler. Veda noted that last year’s winner, Alec Price, isn’t here (he’s at the “Wrestival in Massachusetts.)
1. Jay Lyon and Donnie Primetime defeated Tarzan Duran and J Bouji at 7:34. Primetime is from Alabama; he looks a lot like Joey Janela. I don’t think I’ve seen Tarzan Duran before; he is missing a top tooth and appears to be a brawler; he is certainly giving off Mark Briscoe vibes. Again, Bouji is similar to NXT’s Reggie/Scrypts. Duran and Bouji worked over Donnie early on. Lyon hit an impressive double German Suplex, then a dive through the ropes to the floor at 5:00. Bouji accidentally hit a springboard stunner on Duran! Donnie hit a running knee on Bouji. Lyon hit a Lionsault to pin Bouji. (Several of the well-planned sequences here have me doubtful we have a legit, ‘random’ lottery!)
* Emil and Jordan Castle showed off the BattleBowl ring, which Emil claimed is valued at $12,500. They again used the tumbler to create the ‘random matches.’
2. Austin Luke and Mr. Danger defeated Rico Gonzalez and Bobby Flaco at 7:11. All of these guys except Luke are from the South. Flaco is the short, bald dork. Rico and Mr. Danger opened in an intense lockup. Mr. Danger is a scrawny, Black high-flyer think ROH’s Cheeseburger for how small his frame is, but he’s a good high-flyer. Rico hit a Lionsault. Luke and Flaco entered at 2:00. Mr. Danger hit a Lionsault on Flaco for a nearfall. Luke and Danger each hit rolling cannonballs in the corner. Gonazalez and Flaco hit stereo stunners, then dives to the floor on Luke and Danger at 5:30. Flaco and Rico each hit top-rope doublestomps. Luke hit a German Suplex on Rico. Danger dove onto everyone. In the ring, Mr. Danger hit a 450 Splash to pin Flaco. Decent action.
* Back to the tumbler, and we also have a screen showing us the wrestlers gathered in the back. Jordan Oliver was standing in front, really hinting he’s in the next match.
3. Ellis Taylor and Griffin McCoy defeated Jordan Oliver and Charlie Tiger at 11:00 even. Veda said it was “a heckuva coincidence” that Oliver and Tiger would be paired up, and we have the battle of the four members of “Young Dumb N Broke” squaring off. (Anyone who thought we had legit drawings — that’s now out the window.) So, in recent months, Taylor and McCoy have been at odds with their YDNB teammates. Ellis hit some stomps on Jordan. Oliver beat down Griffin. Griffin raked Charlie’s eyes and took control. Oliver finally made the hot tag at 5:30 and he attacked Griffin McCoy. he hit the Cleopatra Stunner on Ellis. Ellis hit a high back suplex on Oliver and he tagged in Griffin.
McCoy hit a Helluva Kick on Oliver, then a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Charlie Tiger got the hot tag and hit a spear into the corner on Griffin, then a Death Valley Driver into the turnbuckles at 8:00. Veda said “there is a lot of personal animosity here.” Ellis crotched Oliver around the ring post! Oliver hit a Frankensteiner on Griffin. Suddenly, all four were down. It appears Charlie got legit knocked loopy; we had an awkward sequence where Oliver was checking on him, and leaning over and trying to talk to him, and he gently rolled Charlie out of the ring. McCoy snuck up behind and got a rollup on Oliver for the pin! I’m not 100% sure if that was the planned finish or if Tiger was legit loopy. Either way, the good news is Tiger walked to the back, escorted by a referee, so he was able to walk. Either way, a rare pinfall loss for Oliver.
4. 1 Called Manders and Bam Sullivan defeated Jordan Cruz and Sawyer Wreck at 8:22. Bam looks a lot like Bif Busick/Oney Lorcan. Cruz is the muscular West Coast wrestler so this is a big spot for him here. Manders and Sawyer have posted a LOT of pictures together recently on social media, and they opened against each other, but they tagged out before locking up. Cruz hit a big backbody drop on Manders, then a German Suplex on Bam for a nearfall. Bam hit a spinebuster on Cruz. Manders hit a loud chop in the corner on Cruz, and they worked him over. Sawyer got in and worked over Bam. Manders finally tagged in at 5:00 to square off against Sawyer! She hit a spinning back fist that staggered him. Cruz jumped in and hit a neckbreaker over his knee on Manders.
Sawyer hit a Mark Henry slam on Manders, and she chopped on both opponents. Manders hit a Doctor Bomb/gutwrench powerbomb on Sawyer for a nearfall. Cruz clotheslined Bam and they both tumbled to the floor, so we once again have just Manders vs. Wreck, and she hit a LOUD slap to his face. “I thought we were going to have a moment?” Michael said. Manders kissed her on the lips, but then hit a loud chop! They traded chops and forearms. She hit a low blow! Cruz hit a shoulder breaker on Manders for a nearfall. Manders hit a decapitating clothesline on Cruz for the pin. That was fun; if people didn’t know Manders and Sawyer were dating before this match, they sure do now, and that added to this match.
5. Isaiah Broner and Josh Bishop defeated Jocelyn Navarro and Big Vin at 6:21. This is Broner’s debut here but I’m familiar with him from the Midwest; he is muscular and comparable to Ahmed Johnson or Ezezkiel Jackson. Again, Vin just played the role of Santa Claus 10 days ago. Jocelyn is so much smaller than these three men it’s just absurd to have her in the ring. Broner and Jocelyn started, and Broner hit a hard headbutt. Vin hit a sideslam on Broner, but Broner popped back to his feet. Bishop entered at 1:30; he’s a former BattleBowl winner. He dropped to his knees to fight Navarro, but of course, she hit some quick spin kicks on him.
Bishop hit a fallaway slam on her; she shreiked as she was thrown. Bishop and Broner worked her over in their corner. Bishop hit a bodyslam for a nearfall at 4:30. Vin made the hot tag and he traded punches with Bishop, then he hit a Michinoku Driver. Vin chokeslammed Bishop for a nearfall. Bishop hit a Boss Man slam on Vin. Broner hit an F5 Slam. A door was set up in the corner. Navarro tagged in and she slapped Bishop. However, Bishop hit a Razor’s Edge, tossing Navarro onto Vin, sending them both through the door in the corner! Bishop then covered Navarro for the pin.
6. Emersyn Jayne and Daiju Wakamatsu defeated Cole Radrick and Tara Zep at 8:48. Zep wears crazy makeup on her face and she’s covered in tattoos. Jayne was in the Nick Gage Invitational (hardcore tournament) a night ago, and Daiju apparently got to the U.S. too late to compete last night but he’s here now. The women opened against each other. Zep hit a crossbody block. Jayne hit a dive through the ropes onto Zep. In the ring, Jayne hit a German Suplex on Cole. Radrick slammed Emersyn’s back across the top of an open chair a 6:00. OUCH. Cole hit a stunner on Jayne. Daiju went to the back and brought a barbed-wire board to ringside! Veda reiterated that he missed the NGI tournament, but the board was set up in the corner of a ring. Daiju slammed Cole through the barbed-wire board, while Jayne hit a powerbomb with a jackknife cover to pin Tara.
7. Brayden Toon and “Brohski” Jimmy Lloyd defeated Hunter Drake and Dyln McKay at 9:34. Again, Lloyd is forced to be Matt Cardona’s “brohski,” even when Matt isn’t on the show. Lloyd shook Dyln’s hand but said “sorry I’m a Broski now” and kicked Dyln in the gut. Toon hit a running Shooting Star Press, and they worked over Dyln. Lloyd hit a Brohski Boot for a nearfall at 3:30. Dyln hit a Lionsault for a nearfall. Hunter finally tagged in and hit an airplane spin on Toon. Toon hit an Air Raid Crash on the tiny Hunter, then a step-up package piledriver on Drake for a believable nearfall at 5:30. Drake hit a second-rope Spanish Fly on Toon and they were both down.
McKay and Lloyd tagged back in. Dlyn hit a nekbreaker over his knee and a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 7:00. Dyln hit a Fosbury Flop to the floor. Dyln hit a Pele Kick on the ring apron, then a summersault onto Toon on the floor. Dyln went for a dive but Lloyd caught him with a stunner. Lloyd hit a Radio Silence legdrop on Hunter for a nearfall. Hunter hit a Poison Rana on Lloyd, then a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall at 9:00. Lloyd hit another Radio Silence (Cardona’s move!) on Hunter for the pin. Lots of good action in this one.
8. Shane Mercer and Sleepy Ed defeated Beastman and Kurt Bale at 6:38. Sleepy Ed had been sleeping under a blanket in the back the whole show, and he looked groggy as he walked to the ring; Mercer looked annoyed with his partner. (Who thought Wendy Choo’s gimmick was a good idea enough to copy it?) I haven’t seen Bale or Ed before; they locked up but then Ed went to the mat to nap. Mercer got in and easily tossed Bale across the ring. Mercer and Beastman squared off at 2:00, and Beastman tossed the muscular Mercer to the mat. Beastman nailed a rolling cannonball in the corner on Mercer. Mercer hit an impressive Death Valley Driver on Beastman, then the Moonsault and Battery fallaway slam on Bale. He tagged in Ed, but he attacked his partner and powerbombed Ed onto Bale, with Ed ‘pinning’ Bale.
9. Griffin McCoy won the BattleBowl at 9:07. If you aren’t familiar with the BattleBowl concept, the 16 winners from the first eight matches are now in a battle royal. The bell sounded; Charlie Tiger ran to ringside, pulled Ellis Taylor from the ring, and chased him to the back. (Good, glad to see that Tiger injury was a work, or if it wasn’t, was a minor injury.) We had SEVERAL quick eliminations. Griffin hit a spinning backfist on Emersyn Jayne, who was on the apron, to eliminate her. Mercer hit a Guerrilla Press to toss Wakamatsu. Toon got tossed. Broner was tossed; I thought he might last longer. Bishop tossed Austin Luke to the floor. Mercer tossed Mr. Danger to the floor.
At 4:00 we are down to just five: Mercer, Manders, Lloyd, Griffin McCoy and Bishop. Ciclope and Miedo Extremo (who were NOT in the match) jumped into the ring and eliminated Mercer! Griffin eliminated Lloyd. Manders and Bishop traded chops while McCoy hid in the corner. Bishop clotheslined Manders over the top rope to the floor. Oops, Sleepy Ed was still on the mat, sleeping under a blanket; I didn’t see him. However, McCoy quickly eliminated him, too, leaving just Griffin vs. Bishop. Bishop got Griffin up for a Razor’s Edge, but Ellis Taylor ran back into the ring and hit Bishop with a chairshot. Veda pointed out that Taylor was never eliminated when he ran to the back earlier. Bishop hit a Black Hole Slam on Ellis and tossed him. However, snuck up from behind and tossed Bishop to win BattleBowl.
Final Thoughts: An okay show. It was certainly built around the continued issues between Jordan Oliver and Griffin McCoy, and of course, with Griffin winning BattleBowl, he will get a title shot against Oliver. The Manders-Sawyer stuff was fun. Some really talented young talent in this match too. Just a few people new to me; Sleepy Ed’s gimmick did nothing for me. I didn’t get to see enough of Wakamatsu to see his skills. No must-see matches but this was an entertaining show.
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