By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, TNA, 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
Glory Pro Wrestling “Ascend” (episode 21)
Premiered January 28, 2024 via YouTube.com
Taped December 17, 2023 in St. Louis, Missouri at South Broadway Athletic Club
Reed Duffy is back on solo commentary.
1. Dak Draper defeated Laynie Luck in an intergender match at 11:27. Last week, Draper cut a backstage promo saying he has been paid to take out Laynie. We don’t know who has paid him to do this. Draper is a legit 6’4″ and he towers over Laynie, and this is just an absurd size difference. She dove onto him to start the match; she had a brief ROH TV match last week. In the ring, she hit a running back elbow, but he dropped her to the mat with a hard back elbow. Dak hip-tossed her across the ring at 2:00. He nailed a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. He dropped her with a hard chop. Dak hit a kneedrop on her forehead for a nearfall at 4:00. He hit a gut-wrench release suplex. Again I wonder who benefits from matches like this.
Dak suplexed her from the apron back into the ring. She hit a satellite head-scissors takedown, then a dive to the floor at 6:30, but he caught her. He carried her into the ring, cradled in his arms. She avoided a kneedrop. She hit a tornado DDT. He missed a shoulder tackle into the corner and she hit three consecutive German Suplexes. Dak got up and nailed a Mafia Kick for a believable nearfall at 9:00. Dak removed his belt but the ref confiscated it. She hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Dak hit a swinging back suplex. Laynie hit a superkick. She went for a move on the apron but he kicked her. He powerbombed her onto the ring apron, then a second-rope missile dropkick for the pin.
* A video package aired of Jake Something winning the Crown of Glory title in last week’s episode. We then saw Jake in the locker room looking exhausted. He told us he was winning back the title, and he kept his word.
2. Rohit Raju defeated Kody Lane at 14:22 to retain the A1 Zero Gravity Championship with Ethan Page as special guest referee. Kody Lane, like Laynie Luck, had a match on last week’s ROH episode, and he’s taller than Rohit. I always compare him to Juice Robinson. He hit a headbutt, a dropkick and a senton for a nearfall at 1:00. Rohit hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor. In the ring, Rohit hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 3:00. Rohit hit some stomps and he jawed at Ref Page. He hit a swinging neckbreaker but Page made a slow count! Rohit and Page stood nose-to-nose and argued. (Rohit hadn’t cheated; there is no reason for Page, logically, to make that slow count.)
Raju applied a sleeper on the mat. Lane hit a kick to the face; Raju hit a rolling forearm and they were both down at 7:00. Kody hit a back suplex and he was fired up. He hit a back suplex, then a slingshot elbow drop for a nearfall. Rohit missed a top-rope doublestomp, but he hit a Flatliner for a nearfall at 9:30. Rohit again jawed with Page, who had made a regular-speed count. Lane put Raju on his shoulders and slammed him to the mat, then he hit his one-foot Lionsault off the ropes for a nearfall. Raju got another nearfall and again argued with Page; he shoved him at 11:00. Page was livid; he untucked his shirt and pushed Raju; Lane immediately grabbed Raju and hit a Jay Driller for a believable nearfall.
Raju hit a jumping knee to the chin. They fought on the ropes. Raju dropped Lane face-first on the top turnbuckle, then he hit a top-rope doublestomp for a believable nearfall (with a normal speed count.) Raju rolled to the floor and got a chair! Of course, Page was confiscating it when it swung wildly and hit Lane in the face! Page’s face sold he was shocked and didn’t mean to hit Lane. Raju covered the knocked-out Lane and Page reluctantly made the three-count. This was really well done. Raju and Page wound up brawling, with Page ripping off his ref shirt and hitting a stunner on Raju. Page and Lane then shook hands.
Final Thoughts: Like last week, just two matches with a roughly 40-minute run time. We’ve typically had three per show. I wonder if Glory Pro is opting not to air the matches with rookies and just make these shows shorter and more focused with the top-notch Midwest talent. I wouldn’t mind if that’s the case. Obviously, Raju has had a lengthy run in TNA, Dak has competed in ROH, and as I noted, Laynie Luck and Kody Lane were again back on AEW/ROH TV just days ago, and both have had prior TV matches there. This is the second week in a row with a strong show and I give it a thumbs up.
Be the first to comment