By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Demand Lucha “Plancha Tendencies 2024”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
January 18, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario at Parkdale Hall
This is a large ballroom and attendance might be 600; this room is absolutely packed. Lighting is okay; my audio and visual aren’t quite in sync; I’m hearing a chop before I’m seeing it land.
1. Wild Stallion Kid defeated Ark Angel at 8:15. Wild Stallion Kid really impressed me on DL’s December show; he is shirtless in blue pants and a generic mask. Angel wore red with a black T-shirt. They traded armdrags early on. Angel hit a suplex. He hit a German Suplex for a nearfall at 6:30. Stallion Kid hit a Missile Dropkick, a standing powerbomb, and a top-rope flying headbutt for the pin. Decent opener.
2. Kevin Blackwood (w/Haley Dylan) defeated T.I.M. at 15:16. Dylan, the redhead who looks like a teen, has become a regular manager for Blackwood in recent months, and they are easy to boo. T.I.M. is a Black man with a bit of weight around the middle; think Rich Swann with a bit more weight. I’ve only seen him a handful of times. An intense lockup and mat reversals to open. Kevin hit some chops. T.I.M. went to the top rope but Haley hopped on the ring apron and argued with him. It allowed Kevin to hit a doublestomp for a nearfall at 5:00. Kevin hit a stiff kick to the spine and got a nearfall, then a snap suplex for a nearfall.
Kevin hit a German Suplex at 6:30 and he posed and was loudly booed. Haley choked T.I.M. in the ropes. They traded forearm strikes. T.I.M. hit a superkick into the corner and a back suplex for a nearfall at 10:00. T.I.M. hit a pump-handle uranage for a nearfall. Cool move. He hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall, then an Ospreay-style Stormbreaker over his knee. However, Dylan hopped on the ring apron and argued with the referee to save Blackwood. Kevin again hit a second-rope missile dropkick. Kevin hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 13:00 and he argued with the referee about her count. Kevin couldn’t hit a Gotch-style piledriver.
Kevin went for a Helluva Kick but T.I.M. caught his foot, and T.I.M. hit an Angle Slam, then a top-rope moonsault doublestomp to the chest for a visual pin, but Dylan pulled the ref to the floor. T.I.M. snapped Kevin’s throat over the top rope. He went for a slingshot senton, but Kevin got his knees up to block it. Kevin immediately hit a Helluva Kick, then he finally got the Gotch-style Piledriver for the pin. That was really good; Blackwood may not always be in the main event, but he always shines in the middle of the show.
3. FredDIE defeated Paragon at 10:51. FredDIE wears a generic lucha mask and a black singlet, and he’s a regular here. My first time seeing Paragon, who wears a creepy mask somewhat similar to Black Taurus, but he removed it before the match, and he wears face paint like Arez. I’m transfixed. FredDIE stalled on the floor, seemingly unnerved by the creepy Paragon. FredDie hit a bodyslam and a legdrop at 3:00, and he was in charge early on. Paragon hit some Sheamus-style blows to the chest as FredDIE was in the ropes. They brawled to the floor, where Paragon hit a jumping knee. In the ring, FredDIE crotched Paragon on the middle rope and got a nearfall at 7:00.
Paragon fired back with a Spinebuster and they were both down. Paragon set up for a Razor’s Edge but FredDIE fought out. FredDIE missed a top-rope moonsault at 9:00. Paragon hopped up and hit a spear; FredDIE rolled to the floor to avoid being pinned. FredDIE hit a second-rope DDT, then he hit the top-rope moonsault for the pin. Solid match; it was a bit more of a big-man match than I expected and never quite reached third gear. I do like Paragon’s overall look a lot, though.
4. Los Medicos (w/El Doctor) defeated “Fresh Air” Macrae Martin & Junior Benito to retain the Demand Lucha Tag Titles at 13:01. Again, the Medicos all wear identical white scrubs and I can’t tell them apart. Fresh Air is a top indy tag team in Canada and they’ve been regularly competing in the Northeast U.S. states, too. The crowd chanted “new champs!” to taunt Los Medicos. Junior started for his team. Macrae tossed Junior onto a Medico. The Medicos began working over Benito and kept him grounded. The other Medico choked Junior in the ropes. Junior finally hit an enzuigiri and made the hot tag to Macrae at 9:00.
Macrae hit an impressive fallaway slam, then a big spear for a nearfall. Benito hit a team stunner move for a believable nearfall, but the other Medico made the save at 10:30. Junior hit a Sliced Bread. A Medico hit a spinebuster on Benito, and suddenly all four men were down on the mat. Martin hit a top-rope flying clothesline then a flip dive to the floor. Benito hit a frogsplash for a nearfall, but the heel manager put a foot on the bottom rope at 12:30. Martin chased the manager to the back! However, it allowed Los Medicos to hit a team kick-and-bodyslam move for the pin. The crowd booed the finish.
* Announcer Jenny Santana got on the ring to interview Los Medicos. The Doctor grabbed her by the hair, so she hit some armdrags on him, which popped the crowd.
5. Joey Janela defeated Seraphis at 13:45. Seraphis is big, rotund, masked, and wore a white T-shirt and blue jeans. The announcers have indicated this will be a hardcore match. The fans chanted “lucha-a-door!” as Seraphis got a door. (Get it?) They brawled on the floor; this was taking some time to get rolling. In the ring, Seraphis tossed Janela through one door at 6:00, then he speared him through another door for a nearfall. They traded mid-ring forearm strikes at 9:00. Seraphis missed a Vader Bomb and crashed stomach-first through a door bridge.
Joey punched some guy named Ricky Berwick at ringside. The commentators said his name but didn’t tell us who he is; he apparently is a youtube star. Okay, I now can see the guy is in a wheelchair; he drove his electric wheelchair, sending Janela flying through a table set up on the floor at 12:30. A fun spot for this disabled fan. In the ring, Seraphis hit a Death Valley Driver through a door in the corner for a nearfall. Joey flipped Seraphis over the top rope and through a door bridge on the floor. In the ring, Joey hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest for the pin. This one just didn’t quite click for me.
6. Haley Dylan defeated Beaa Moss at 8:47. I haven’t seen Beaa before; she has long brown hair halfway down her back and she has the energy of Jody Threat running to the ring. They traded mat reversals to open. Beaa has a clear height and overall size advantage. Kevin Blackwood joined commentary and put over Haley. The crowd started chanting “carrot-head!” at Haley. Haley took control and kept Beaa grounded. They began trading forearm strikes at 5:30. Beaa hit a spinning heel kick that appeared to catch Haley flush in the face. “She’s been through worse!” Blackwood said.
Haley hit a German Suplex, then a rolling Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Beaa hit an ax kick across the back of the neck for a nearfall at 8:00. Beaa hit an Unprettier faceplant. Blackwood left commentary and ran to ringside and got booed. He hopped on the apron but Beaa dropped him with a punch. Haley hit a spinning back fist, then a Rainmaker clothesline, for the pin. Solid match. I really liked the energy I saw from Beaa.
* It appeared Blackwood was going to punch Beaa, but FredDIE ran into the ring for the save. He helped her to his feet; the commentators were perplexed he would help her.
* Gringo Loco came out first for the next match. He got on the mic and said “what happened last month was a complete sham!” He was incredulous he was pinned by Jack Cartwheel last month. This next match will NOT be Loco’s “automatic rematch clause” after losing the title because it’s a three-way.
7. Mustafa Ali defeated Jack Cartwheel and Gringo Loco in a three-way at 11:01. Ali came out second, with champion Cartwheel out last but it was stressed that Cartwheel’s title is NOT on the line. Loco attacked Cartwheel as Jack got in the ring. Ali and Loco traded offense as the commentators acknowledged they just fought in Chicago last weekend. Ali hit some chops and forearms on Jack. Loco hit his top-rope fadeaway stunner on Ali for a nearfall at 2:00. Jack hit his slingshot senton elbowdrop for a nearfall. Jack hit a Crucifix Driver on Ali for a nearfall. Ali hit a Buckshot Lariat; one commentator even said it was “Hangman Page style.” Ali hit a German Suplex on Jack at 4:30.
Ali hit a Tornado DDT on Loco, but he missed a 450 Splash. Loco missed a top-rope moonsault as both opponents moved. They all went to the top rope and I think they were setting up for a Spanish Fly, but they all fell HARD to the floor at 7:30. That definitely was not the planned spot. The crowd applauded as they got up, as any of them could have been injured there. Jack hit a Sasake Special onto Loco, but Ali dove through the ropes onto both of them a half-second later! Loco hit a powerbomb onto the ring apron on Jack. In the ring, he hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:30. Jack fired back with his rolling Death Valley Driver on Loco. Ali rolled back into the ring and hit a headbutt on Jack. Jack launched off Ali in the corner and hit a moonsault on Loco for a nearfall; Ali hit a 450 Splash to break it up. Ali then pinned Loco. I didn’t expect that to be the finish. As expected, a great match.
* Mustafa got on the mic and said leaving WWE was among the best things to happen to him. “Right now, I’ve never felt more alive!” he concluded, and he got a standing ovation.
Final Thoughts: An excellent main event and lived up to what you’d expect from these three. I want to reiterate that my least favorite chant in pro wrestling is the “you f—-ed up” chant. Those three had a dangerous fall to the floor, and I’m so glad that the only reaction from the fans was of genuine concern, then appreciation as they all got up and continued the match. I’m sure at least one of them is going to have a deep bruise from that one.
Blackwood is so good, always so stiff, and his match with T.I.M. earned second place. Fresh Air is really good and their tag match takes third, even though they should have won. The Janela stuff with the fan in the wheelchair meant a lot to this crowd, but it looked as cartoonish as him selling for Microman last week. Overall, the Janela match just felt a bit slow and plodding; I am so hit-or-miss on his matches. This one was just a standard brawl with lots of broken tables, and it didn’t work for me. A good show overall, and I’m sure IWTV will have it posted soon.
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