By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Revolver “Ready or Not”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
March 16, 2024 in Clive, Iowa in Horizon Events Center
The venue is a fieldhouse in suburban Des Moines. They always draw a great crowd, and there are maybe 500 or so here. Veda Scott and Borg Torkleson provided commentary. I’ve noted before that these Revolver shows often feel like TNA house shows, as they have so many current or past TNA talent. There are a few AEW names, but running against Collision means many aren’t available now.
1. Ace Austin (w/Gia Miller) defeated Rich Swann at 8:42. Gia’s outfit looks like she got from Scarlett Bordeaux; it’s skimpy and black. Ace led the crowd in singing “happy birthday!” to Gia. Swann attacked him as he finished singing, and he was in charge early. He hit a stiff kick to the spine at 3:00. Ace hit a guillotine leg drop and a roundhouse kick to the head, then his modified Pedigree for a nearfall at 6:00. Swann hit a series of Kawada Kicks and an axe kick for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Swann hit a spin kick to the head and a Lethal Injection for a nearfall at 8:00. He missed a second-rope 450 Splash. Ace hit a spin kick and he nailed The Fold/overhead flipping neckbreaker for the clean pin! Good opener.
* JT Dunn came out and badmouthed the crowd and was jeered. After an expletive-filled rant, he introduced Jake Something.
2. Jake Something (w/JT Dunn) defeated (Madman) Fulton at 9:02. This is Fulton’s first match here in several months. An intense lockup to open; these are two big men! They tied up in a knucklelock, then they traded shoulder tackles with neither man going down and we got the “Beef!” chant when they collided. Fulton hit a gut-wrench suplex into the corner at 3:30. They hit simultaneous clotheslines and were both down. Fulton trapped the arms and hit a series of headbutts at 5:30. Fulton hit a springboard twisting clothesline for a nearfall.
JT Dunn hopped in the ring and distracted Fulton. Jake grabbed Fulton by his dreadlocks and dragged him over the top rope to the floor! Jake then hit a dive to the floor but Fulton caught him! Fulton slammed him back-first on the ring apron at 7:30. JT Dunn grabbed Fulton’s ankles! Jake hit a spear into the corner, then a massive powerbomb but only got a one-count, earning a “holy shit!” chant. (I thought that was it.) Jake hit a diving forearm, then a Black Hole Slam for the pin. Really good big-man matchup.
3. Marina Shafir defeated Mike Bailey in an intergender match at 12:32. While I’m not a fan of intergender matches, Bailey has always made them look somewhat believable. Marina mounted him and hit a series of punches. They traded kicks to the thighs, and Bailey hit his Speedball Kicks at 2:00. They went to the floor and traded more kicks, and she slammed him back-first on the apron, and she locked in a Stretch Muffler leglock, and dragged him to the floor. In the ring, she stood on his back and was in charge. She snapped his neck between her ankles, then she applied a Dragon Sleeper; Bailey charged through the ropes and they fell to the floor at 5:30. Bailey nailed his Triangle Moonsault to the floor. They traded roundhouse kicks on the ring apron.
She applied a choke. He missed a moonsault kneedrop and he crashed onto the apron at 7:30. She dragged him into the ring and had a choke locked in. Bailey missed an Ultima Weapon. They hit simultaneous roundhouse kicks to the head and were both down. They got up and traded more kicks and Marina hit some punches to the chest. Bailey nailed a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 10:00, and he locked in a crossarm breaker. She escaped and applied her own crossarm breaker. Bailey stood up and put her on the top rope. He nailed the Flamingo Driver for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it. Bailey missed the Ultima Weapon. They traded rollups. Bailey missed another moonsault kneedrop and she hit a series of kicks. She dragged him to the mat, locked in “Mother’s Milk”/belly-to-belly sleeperhold, and Mike tapped out! That was a blast.
4. Lince Dorado and Samuray Del Sol (f/k/a Kalisto) defeated “GYV” James Drake and Zack Gibson to win the Wrestling Revolver Tag Team Titles at 13:15. Gibson and SDS opened with quick reversals. Drake got in and snapped Sol’s arm. Dorado entered and battled Drake. Dorado hit a springboard crossbody block at 5:30. Sol leapt off of Dorado’s shoulders and hit a frogsplash. The GYV began working over Dorado in their corner. Sol finally got the hot tag at 10:00 and he hit a double crossbody block.
Sol flipped Drake onto Gibson. The luchadors hit stereo dives to the floor on the GYV. Sol hit a top-rope 450 Splash for a nearfall. The GYV hit a spike piledriver on the thin mat at ringside on Sol at 12:00. In the ring, the GYV ripped off Dorado’s mask and they were loudly booed. Dorado (with his hands covering his face) hit a mid-ring huracanrana on Drake for the pin! New champions! The crowd went nuts for this finish.
5. Paul Walter Hauser defeated Matt Cardona (w/Steph De Lander) in an “Emmy vs. Slammy, winner take all” match at 19:51. This is also no-disqualification. Hauser is the actor from Cobra Kai, and he had a surprisingly watchable match in Revolver a couple months ago. He has a gut but wore ring gear. Cardona jawed at the crowd and ignored Hauser. Hauser teased a Crane Kick; Cardona scampered from the ring to avoid it. They finally locked up for the first time at 2:30. Hauser hit a Kokeshi falling headbutt; Cardona rolled to the floor and called for a timeout. Cardona and SDL teased leaving, but Paul came up behind them and hit a double noggin’ knocker, then he bodyslammed Cardona on the stage at 5:00.
They brawled back to ringside. Cardona hit a baseball slide dropkick through the ropes on Hauser. Hauser dove back into the ring at 7:30 to avoid being counted out. SDL choked Hauser in the ropes. Cardona hit a second-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall. Matt hit him with a chairshot to the back for a nearfall. Cardona swung the chair, struck the top rope, and it ricocheted back onto his head. Hauser immediately hit a Samoan Drop and they were both down at 10:30. Hauser hit a spinebuster for a nearfall. SDL hopped on the ring apron to distract the referee. Cardona jabbed Hauser in the throat.
Cardona got a door from under the ring and set it int the corner. However, Hauser jabbed the chair into Matt’s stomach, then hit him across the spine. He speared Cardona through the door in the corner at 13:00. Hauser went for the cover but Steph made the save. Matt grabbed his Slammy, but he accidentally hit Steph! He turned around and was hit by a Crane Kick for a visual pin, but Steph dragged the ref to the floor. Matt hit a low blow uppercut, then the Radio Silence flying leg lariat for a visual pin.
Bully Ray walked to ringside! Cardona looked like he’d seen a ghost! He got in the ring and glared at Cardona and the fans chanted “holy shit!” Hauser hit Cardona from behind. Bully Ray bodyslammed Cardona! Hauser hit the Wassup flying headbutt to the groin as Bully Ray held Matt’s legs apart. Bully Ray slapped Hauser on the chest and told him to get the tables! Bully Ray and Hauser set it up in the ring. Hauser opened a metal box and pulled out some lighter fluid cans, and they sprayed it on the table. Hauser set the table on fire, and Bully Ray slammed Cardona through the fire-covered table. Hauser then covered Cardona for the pin. A fun surprise that the crowd loved.
* Hauser got on the mic and thanked the fans in Iowa for coming out to see him wrestle. He then turned to Bully Ray and asked him if he can hold up “his end of a challenge to Sami Callihan next month.” Bully Ray grabbed the mic and asked the fans if they want to see Callihan vs. Hauser at ECW Arena next month. Callihan walked out of the back and accepted the challenge! Bully Ray noted it was his first-ever Wrestling Revolver show. Bully Ray and Hauser gave away shards of the broken table.
* Intermission. They showed a replay of Chris Bey vs. Lio Rush from a prior show. I fast-forwarded, as I was about an hour behind live TV.
* Crash Jaxon came out of the back; he isn’t wearing a cast on either arm! He said he’s at about 30% recovered and will be back soon. He then joined commentary.
* Alex Shelley has relinquished the Remix Title so it is vacant.
6. Gringo Loco defeated Kevin Knight, Myron Reed, Jake Crist, “Warhorse” Jake Parnell, Damian Chambers (w/Kayla Kassidy), and “Alpha Sigma Sigma” Brent Oakley in an invitational scramble to win the vacant Revolver Remix Title at 16:06. Again, if you haven’t seen Warhorse in a while, he’s abandoned the yellow-and-red and now wears a black vest and sunglasses. Oakley has his ASS teammates with him; again, they are the Mean Street Posse-style frat boys. Chambers got on the mic and ripped everyone else in the match, calling Gringo Loco the “fat luchador.” Six guys hit Superkicks on Chambers to start the match.
Oakley tossed his “Pledge” onto everyone on the floor. Knight hit a plancha to the floor at 1:30. Chambers hit a dive through the ropes onto everyone. In the ring, Knight hit an impressive dropkick on Loco. Loco hit a moonsault on Knight, then a dive to the floor. Parnell hit a flip dive through the ropes onto everyone. Crist hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor on everyone at 3:00. It appeared that Loco and Parnell were going to hit a Spanish Fly to the floor, but they fell into the ring. We had a massive tower spot out of the corner at 5:30 that also involved the managers at ringside. Parnell hit a decapitating clothesline on Oakley.
Chambers hit a spin kick on Knight, then a short-arm clothesline. He hit a neckbreaker over his knee. Loco hit a standing moonsault on Crist, then a top-rope moonsault on Crist for a nearfall at 8:00. Knight hit an impressive dropkick on Chambers as Damian was on Reed’s shoulders. Knight hit a Pele Kick, then a Sky High powerbomb. Reed hit an axe kick on Knight. Reed hit a Stundog Millionaire on Parnell, then a double stunner. Crist piled several guys in the corner. Myron hit his leaping stunner over the top rope to the floor on Crist at 11:30. Parnell hit some back suplexes on Knight. Parnell hit a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. Oakley hit Knight with a paddle and got a believable nearfall.
Parnell hit Oakley with the paddle in the head. Parnell leapt off the top rope, but Crist leapt off a different top rope, caught Parnell’s head and hit a stunner! Kayla Kassidy kicked Loco in the groin, and she hit a Canadian Destroyer. Chambers hit a suplex on Loco for a believable nearfall at 14:30. Chambers threw a chair at Loco. Loco got the chair and hit Chambers in the back. Loco nailed the second-rope Base Bomb/swinging powerbomb on Chambers for the pin! Loco is the Remix champion!
7. Alex Shelley defeated JT Dunn (w/Jake Something) to retain the WR Heavyweight Title at 6:38. Dunn got on the mic and talked about how Jessicka Havok also has joined The Unit, but he added she isn’t here tonight. Shelley got on the mic and agreed with Dunn about how awful Iowa is, and he can’t wait to get out of this state. So, we have a heel-heel match which really should be avoided. Shelley spit water in his face at the bell. Dunn poked Shelley in the eyes. Jake attacked Shelley on the floor. In the ring, Shelley hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Dunn, and he tied him in a Trailer Hitch leglock at 2:00. Dunn hit an enzuigiri. Shelley hit a Flatliner into the middle turnbuckle.
Dunn hit a stunner for a nearfall at 3:30. Dunn dove through the ropes but accidentally landed on Jake. In the ring, Shelley hit a basement dropkick on the knee, and he applied a Figure Four. The ref got bumped. Shelley grabbed Jake in the groin. JT hit a low blow uppercut on Alex. Phil Stamper (who was recently fired by JT) tossed the title belt to Shelley! Shelley hit Dunn in the head with the belt and he covered the prone Dunn for the pin. Okay match; heel-heel matches are tough because the crowd didn’t react to either’s offense.
* Our main event is “Elimination Games.” Think of this as War Games AND Survivor Series in a single match. So, we will start with just one person from each side. Each person who comes to the ring can bring a “signature weapon” with them. But as I noted, this is also an elimination match. As expected, the heel “RED” team won the ‘random coin toss’ to get the man advantage.
8. “RED” Steve Maclin, Killer Kelly, Rickey Shane Page, and Alex Colon defeated 1 Called Manders, Masha Slamovich, Mance Warner, and Matthew Justice in Elimination Games at 37:52. Maclin and Manders opened; Iowa native Manders just returned from a highly successful tour in Germany for wXw last weekend, and he hit a dive to the floor on Maclin, and they brawled into the crowd. Kelly came out at 3:00 for the RED team. Maclin hit a kendo stick across Manders’ back. Masha walked to ringside at 4:30 with light tubes. The two women teased that they were about to kiss but instead started throwing forearm strikes. Masha hit a rolling kick on Maclin. RSP came out at 6:00 and he has a barbed-wire-covered fence. Masha hit some punches that RSP no-sold. Mance Warner joined the match at 8:00 and he has cooking skewers that he jabbed into the top of Page’s head.
Mance jabbed the skewers into Kelly’s head, too. Yuck. Mance tossed Maclin onto the barbed-wire fence. Colon entered at 10:00 and he has a glass pane, which was promptly broken. Colon had a railroad spike that he jabbed in foreheads. Mance hit a piledriver on Colon onto the glass shards, and Colon was bleeding from the forehead. Masha hit a spin kick on Kelly. Kelly hit a Death Valley Driver on Masha. Masha tossed Kelly through light tubes and pinned her at 14:22. The final entrant, Matthew Justice, finally came out here. Justice said his weapon is the scaffold, and he ordered it be moved to ringside. So, the babyfaces are up 4-to-3.
Justice climbed the wobbly scaffold and he dove onto the heels at 17:00. Justice speared Page through a door in the corner for a nearfall. Colon and Masha traded forearm strikes. Colon dumped a bucket of broken glass on the mat. However, Masha bodyslammed Colon onto the glass pile for a nearfall at 19:00. She hit Colon over the head with a chair, then door shards. She shoved glass in his mouth then kicked his cheek, so the glass spewed everywhere, earning her a “you sick f—!” chant. Page was heavily bleeding now; RSP hit a Death Valley Driver on Masha, and Colon covered her for the pin at 20:52, and the crowd booed. So it is 3-on-3 with just the men left.
Justice and RSP fought on the scaffold, and Matthew hit a Death Valley Driver through a table in the ring to pin RSP at 24:44. That was an insane and dangerous spot. Maclin immediately hit Justice with a door shard to pin him at 25:07, and the fans chanted profanities at Maclin. So, it’s 2-on-2. Mance hit some Bionic Elbows on Maclin, then a stunner. We have six or so doors in the ring now. Mance hit a superplex onto the pile of chairs at 29:30. Colon speared Manders through a door in the corner. Maclin hit one, too. Maclin rolled up Mance and pinned him at 31:22, and the heels are up 2-to-1.
The heels slammed chairs and door shards on Manders. Manders hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Maclin through a door in the corner to pin him at 33:10. Colon immediately hit Manders in the back with wood shards. Even though Maclin has been eliminated, he helped set up a double-decker door bridge, with a pane of glass on top. Colon climbed the scaffold. Mance Warner returned and saved Manders! Mance and Manders climbed the scaffolding together. However, Mance stabbed Manders in the forehead on top of the scaffold! Colon hit a Spanish Fly off the scaffold on Manders and pinned him. That was an insane finishing move to close the match.
Final Thoughts: An entertaining show, even though I didn’t care much for the final two matches. I’ll go with Bailey-Marina for best match, the GYV-luchadors for second, and Hauser-Cardona for third. The Bully Ray surprise was a fun blast. The scramble was a blast, and it felt like anyone could have won that match for a vacant title. On the negative side, Shelley-Dunn is a perfect example of why heel-heel matches should be avoided as much as possible. Both are great wrestlers but the crowd sat quietly, refusing to cheer for either. The main event is an acquired taste; I don’t care for all that glass, all those weapons, all that blood, and some potentially dangerous spots off the scaffold.
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