By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
With the sheer number of independent wrestling shows out there, some events will simply slide under the radar. Some promotions bring in just one big star to go with their local talent. Here is a look at recent matches featuring Mustafa Ali, Mike Bailey, and British star Michael Oku taking on Leon Slater, from some indy shows outside the United States.
North Shore Pro Wrestling, “Kickoff 2024,” Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, Jan. 20, 2024. (IWTV). The ring announcer spoke in French, but there was English commentary. The lights were low. This was a really good-sized crowd of perhaps 600 fans. Outside of Mustafa Ali, I have only seen one wrestler on this show before, the athletic female Kristara. This was a seven-match show, and here’s my review of the main event:
Mustafa Ali defeated Leon Saver at 14:17. My first time seeing Saver, who looks a bit like an unshaven, untrimmed Cameron Grimes, and a bit like Tony Nese. I really like the video he uses for his entrance, showing his ‘presidential campaign.’ An intense lockup and standing switches, and Saver has a weight advantage; Leon is listed online at 5’8″ and 205 pounds and those both seem accurate. The commentator said this is the biggest match of Saver’s career. This crowd was hot and fully behind Ali. Ali tried a springboard move at 4:30, but Saver shoved him off the top rope to the floor. They brawled on the floor. In the ring, Saver hit a DDT. He hit a TKO stunner for a nearfall at 7:30.
Ali fired up and hit some clotheslines, then a rolling neckbreaker. He hit running knees in the corner. Saver came off the top rope but Ali caught him with a perfectly-timed dropkick, and they were both down, and the crowd rallied for Ali. Saver whipped Ali into the corner, where he crashed face-first into the middle turnbuckle at 10:00. Saver hit a clothesline in the corner and a back elbow. Ali hit his dropkicks to the face in the corner. Two heels from the back hit the ring at 11:30; two babyfaces ran to the ring so those four brawled on the floor while Saver and Ali were trading forearm strikes in the ring. Ali hit a flip dive over the bent-over referee and onto five guys on the floor.
In the ring, Ali missed a 450 Splash; Saver hit a superkick for a believable nearfall. Ali nailed a Sunset Flip Bomb out of the corner. Ali immediately hit the top-rope 450 Splash for the pin. A good match; I’m sure Ali had never met this opponent until now but they meshed well and had a pretty fluid match. The heels hopped in the ring and attacked Ali. The babyfaces helped fight them off. Ali and Saver shook hands and raised their arms, as fans chanted “Thank you, Ali!”
* Ali got on the mic and said “I hope you can tell by the genuine smile on my face, when you say thank you Ali, I have to thank you.” He said he could just go “somewhere else” and take a fat contract, but he instead wants to go out and do indies. “I f—ing love this!” and that got a pop and they chanted his name again. He put over Canadian wrestling fans, and he put over Saver, and they shook hands again. He got the crowd to chant “Leon!” as the show ended.
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International Wrestling Syndicate vs. Game Changer Wrestling, “UnFnSanctioned 25th Anniversary,” Montreal, Quebec, Canada, March 2, 2024 (Triller+). IWS and GCW have had a rivalry for the past year. This show is in a theater, and the ring is pushed up against the stage. Lighting over the ring is really good; it appears the crowd is several hundred in size. Veda Scott was on commentary which always helps, too. There are seven matches on this show. Recognizable names to me on this show include ring veteran Lufisto. The main event is an “Ultimate Death Match” featuring Joey Janela, Effy, Allie Katch and Jimmy Lloyd taking on four local IWS guys, but I’m just not into the death matches, especially one that is listed as going 36 minutes. So, here’s a look at the matches that intrigued me.
Frank Milano defeated Charlie Tiger, Marcus Mathers, Junior Benito, Sway Archer and JT Producer in a six-way scramble at 7:31. Tiger and Mathers routinely compete in the Northeast and they likely drove together. Benito is the thin Black man who is currently the C*4 champion. I’ve seen the slender Archer before, but I don’t know Milano and JT Producer. JT wore all black, a black jacket and sunglasses. Milano comes across as a combination of Drew Gulak-meets-Orange Cassidy in looks, and he came out last. All six brawled at the bell. Benito hit a slingshot senton on Producer. Archer hit a powerslam on Beniito. Milano hit a Sliced Bread, then a Sling Blade.
Tiger hit a spear on Milano, then a German Suplex on Producer, then a spear on Milano on the apron. Tiger and Archer brawled on the floor. In the ring, Mathers hit a huracanrana on Milano, then a Helluva Kick. Mathers hit a flip dive to the floor on 3-4 guys at 3:00. In the ring, Tiger and Mathers worked together to beat up Milano. Milano and Benito hit stereo dives through the ropes. The referee dove through the ropes onto everyone at 5:00 and that POPPED the crowd, getting a “holy shit!” chant. Producer slammed Archer onto Mathers and got a nearfall.
Producer hit Milano with a DDT for a nearfall. Producer shoved Tiger face-first into the middle turnbuckle. Tiger hit a Death Valley Driver into the corner. Sway hit a coast-to-coast dropkick. Benito hit a frogsplash. Mathers hit a 450 Splash. Milano nailed a Rebound Lariat on Mathers. Milano set up for an Unprettier faceplant on Producer, but he does a swinging neckbreaker to pin JT. As expected, a fast-paced match with some good talent involved here.
Ben Ortmanns defeated Mike Bailey, James Stone, and Matt Angel in a four-way at 17:53. I’ve seen Stone several times in C*4 Wrestling; he’s bald and comparable to Karl Anderson or Oney Lorcan. I don’t know Angel or Ortmanns. Ortmanns is tall, a heel, and wore light blue trunks. Bailey got a huge pop. Angel came out last; he’s a cocky kid with short, thick black hair. Angel kicked away Bailey’s handshake offer. Angel hit a dropkick. Bailey hit his Speedball kicks to the ribs and thighs on Angel at 3:30. Stone hit a back suplex on Ben, then Stone dove through the ropes. Bailey hit his Triangle Moonsault to the floor on all three opponents. In the ring, Angel hit a huracanrana and a dropkick.
Angel hit a Sliced Bread on Bailey at 6:30, and I’m impressed, as he hit a German Suplex on Bailey. Ortmanns began stomping on Bailey. Stone and Bailey hit simultaneous missile dropkicks on the heels at 9:00. Stone hit a Death Valley Driver on Ben for a nearfall. Angel hit a dropkick. Bailey hit a running Shooting Star Press on Angel. Ben hit a backbreaker over his knee on Bailey, then a faceplant, and he tied Bailey in a crossface on the mat; Bailey reversed it and got a rollup for a nearfall at 11:00. Bailey hit a double Crucifix Driver. He got a backslide on Ortmanns for a nearfall. Bailey and Ben hit simultaneous roundhouse kicks to the head and suddenly everyone was down.
Ben and Bailey traded spin kicks while fighting on the ring apron. Then they began kicking Angel, who got between them. Funny. Bailey hit his Moonsault kneedrop on Ben on the apron at 14:30. Angel hit a springboard Spanish Fly. Bailey went for a flip off the top-rope, but Ben caught him with a mid-air kick. Bailey hit a huracanrana on Ben, then a moonsault kneedrop to the chest at 16:00. He hit a buzzsaw kick to the head. However, Angel threw Bailey to the floor, then dove onto Mike. In the ring, Angel hit a Shadows Over Hell backsplash on Ben. Stone punched Angel in the jaw and hit a Gotch-style Pileddriver. Bailey hit an Ultima Weapon on Angel’s back and he got a nearfall. However, Ben kicked Bailey, and Ben climbed on Stone to steal the pin. Really good action.
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North Wrestling, “NCL 43: All Roads Lead North,” Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, Feb. 10, 2024. (Triller+) This show was just released last week. This show was held in a brewery and it’s packed with 300 fans. The undercard features Session Moth Martina (a party girl who was in ROH’s Sinclair Era), TNA’s Joe Hendry and former NXT-UK talent Amir Jordan. Veda Scott and a British male provided commentary here, too. Here’s a look at the main event. Both Leon Slater and Michael Oku have had matches in the United States, and I believe Scott D’Amore had signed/was planning to sign Slater to a TNA contract.
* This is a three-hour event and the main event build begins wtih video packages at the 2:15 mark. In the video package, Leon said he was “pushed to the limit” by Oku when he was 17. There is clearly a lot of backstory here between these two. Newcastle-upon-Tyne is located in north England, and is closer to the border of Scotland than it is to London. A really polished video package other indies could really learn from.
Leon Slater defeated Michael Oku to retain the North Title at 29:04. Both are talented Black Brits. I always compare Slater to Nick Wayne because they are both 18 with similar builds and incredibly talented. Oku is a stellar talent who just had a great match with Will Ospreay a couple weeks ago. Slater wore a shoulder brace, and Slater has been champion for 210 days. This crowd is HOT with dueling chants at the bell. (A crowd this small sure is loud in a tiny room!) They finally locked up at 2:00 and traded quick reversals with neither man landing a blow and a standoff. Slater hit a handspring-back-elbow, then a plancha to the floor. Slater grounded Oku.
Oku hit a missile dropkick at 7:00 that sent Slater to the floor. Oku hit a Fosbury Flop onto Slater. Oku hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 8:30. Oku tied up Slater upside-down in the ropes at 11:00. Oku hit a top-rope kneedrop onto Slater’s left leg, and Leon screamed in pain as he writhed on the mat. Oku was now in charge of the action. Oku applied a half-crab as they fought on the top turnbuckles; a commentator shouted that the ref needs to step in after five seconds. Slater hit a top-rope twisting superplex at 14:30. Oku locked in the half-crab (his finisher!) in the center of the ring, and he dragged Slater to the center of the ring but Leon powered out. Slater kicked Oku to the floor, with Michael striking the barricade at ringside.
They got in the ring and traded hard kicks. Slater hit a running stunner at 17:00, but he missed a 450 Splash. They tried a move that started as a Poison Rana; not sure what they were going for but they both crashed awkwardly and the ref checked on them, and he started counting as they got to their feet. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees at 19:00, then while standing. They switched to a chop exchange. Oku hit a Lionsault for a nearfall at 22:00, but he missed a frogsplash. Slater immediately hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Slater put Oku on his shoulders, but Oku’s leg accidentally struck the ref! Slater hit a powerbomb to the mat for a visual pin but we had not ref.
Slater hit a hard kick to the side of the head at 24:00, then another one to the chest, as Oku looked groggy from the blows. Slater grabbed his title belt! This crowd was livid! Slater looked conflicted, then he tossed the belt into the corner. Oku picked up the belt, struck Slater in the face with it, and was LOUDLY booed! I am loving this. Oku applied the half-crab as the crowd chanted “Not like this!” The ref checked on Slater; his arm fell twice but he powered up and reached the ropes at 27:00. Oku hit a superkick and a dropkick into the corner. However, Slater nailed a second-rope powerbomb to the mat. Slater then hit a top-rope 450 Splash for the pin. That was a blast. “An absolute war with two of the absolute best going today,” the male commentator said.
* Slater got on the mic and listed off the names of everyone he’s beaten, from Mike Bailey to Oku. He said their is no one left for him to beat. The crowd chanted for Man Like Dereiss. Slater responded by noting that Dereiss isn’t here. (He was competing in the J Cup in New Jersey on this weekend.) “He’s not here, as always,” and that made the crowd react.
Final Thoughts: I was never going to get a chance to watch all three of these events in their entirety, nor did I want to sit though that 36-minute death match on the IWS show even if I did have the time. But, I’m glad I took the time to catch these matches with the top stars on each of these events. The one thing that is the same across the board was each event was packed and if they weren’t sellouts, they were all pretty close. Indy wrestling is striving as we start 2024.
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