By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Ego Pro Wrestling
March 16, 2024 in Joliet, Illinois at The Forge
Available for streaming via Independentwrestling.tv
Joliet is a suburb southwest of Chicago. This is a nightclub with a second level. Attendance is maybe 400-500 and it is PACKED. Lighting is solid. There are guardrails but they are almost right next to the ring, so there is little room to move on the floor.
1. Chico Suave defeated Sabin Gauge, Alfonso Gonzalez, Robbie Reeves, Trik Davis and Sorta Credible Iverson in a “Tracy Smothers memorial match” at 10:07. Trik has been wrestling for at least 20 years. I’ve seen all these guys on Chicago-area shows in the past year. Iverson is the dork in a pink cape who thinks he’s a superhero; think Hurricane Helms but not as cool. Gonzalez hit a spinebuster at 2:00 and was booed. Trik and Sabin traded mat reversals. Reeves hit a dive through the ropes at 5:00. Gage hit an impressive Fosbury Flop to the floor on everyone. Iverson dove off the top rope onto everyone on the floor. In the ring, Sabin hit an enzuigiri on Trik, then a Poison Rana. Reeves hit a Samoan Drop on Trik. Gonzalez applied a half-crab. Sabin hit a pump-handle powerbomb on Suave for a nearfall. Chico hit an Angle Slam on Gonzalez for the pin. Satisfying scramble.
* Gonzalez was angry at the referee and shoved him, so the ref hit a stunner on him. The commentators pointed out it is “3:16 day” so someone had to do it.
2. “Brothers of Funstruction” Yabo and Ruffo defeated Joey Avalon and Benny Bargas at 10:20. This match wasn’t advertised and I totally understand why. The stupid clowns are one of the main reasons NWA TV is so hard to watch. Pretty sure I haven’t seen Bargas before; he wore a Boston Bruins hockey jersey and shorts. Avalon is thick and always carries a shovel with him. Avalon opened. Some juvenile comedy from the clowns. Avalon and Bargas are the heels and they worked over one of the clowns. Joey used his shovel to scoop one out of the ring. The clown stomped on the shovel, causing the handle to hit Avalon in the groin. A clown popped a balloon near Avalon’s head and pinned him. As bad of a match as I’ve seen this year; the comedy just doesn’t work for me.
* Ryan Matthews hopped in the ring. He’s wearing a bathrobe! He is livid because hes isn’t booked on the show. He demanded a match.
3. Hartenbower defeated Conan Lycan at 10:17. I always compare the bald Hartenbower to Josh Alexander in their looks. Lycan reminds me of NXT-era Baron Corbin with his long, stringy black hair; he looks a bit like WCW’s Crowbar. Hartenbower is a heel here and he attacked from behind. He bent Lycan backward around the ring post. Hartenbower hit a stunner and a clothesline for a nearfall at 9:30 and he jawed at the ref. Lycan hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Lycan missed a top-rope 450 Splash, and Hartenbower immediately hit a spear for the him. Okay action.
* Colt Cabana (w/Southpaw) took on Frank the Clown (w/Jimmy Hart) in an arm wrestling contest. A nice pop for Jimmy Hart, which is strange to pair him with Frank, who is always a heel and was loudly booed. Jimmy corrected this immediately by saying in disbelief to Frank, “you told me you’re loved here?” Southpaw is the human-sized mascot of the Chicago White Sox. Cabana came out last and he wore a White Sox jersey. Frank took his jacket off and he has shockingly tiny spaghetti limp arms. Powder was thrown in Cabana’s eyes, allowing Frank to win. Southpaw beat Frank in an arm wrestling match. Cabana hit a flying buttbump in the corner on Frank, and Southpaw hit a stunner on Frank. Southpaw, Jimmy and Colt celebrated togetehr as Frank was flat on the mat. Exactly how you’d expect tis segment to play out.
4. Davey Bang defeated August Matthews at 16:28. These two have teamed all over the Midwest and East Coast; I don’t know why they are pitted against each other here. Matthews has quite a height advantage; both are thin and lanky. Friendly reversals early on; Matthews has grown a mustache. They sped it up but it remained a friendly competition. Matthews got an O’Connor Roll for a nearfall at 2:30. They had a standoff and shook hands. Bang hit a dropkick but he missed a standing moonsault. Matthews hit a Penalty Kick and a standing moonsault at 5:00, and he took control. The commentators talked about how rare it is to see an active team have a ‘friendly match’ like this.
Bang hit a series of chops. Bang hit a handspring-back-elbow. He hit a spear through the ropes and a stunner at 7:30, then a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Matthews nailed a Crucifix Driver for a nearfall. Bang hit ome Mafia Kicks at 10:00. Matthews hit a top-rope splash as Bang was tied on the top rope. They traded jumping knees, and Bang hit an enzuigiri, and Matthews hit a knee to the back of the head, and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes, then they hit simultaneous Mafia Kicks.
Matthews hit a German Suplex, then a half-nelson suplex, then a jumping Cave-in stomp and a Sliced Bread for a believable nearfall. They fought on the ropes and hit a headbutt, and both men fell to the mat at 13:00. They fought on the stage, and Matthews hit a DDT on the stage. They fought on the ring apron and Bang teased doing a German Suplex. Instead, he hit a Death Valley Driver. In the ring, Bang went for a spear but August caught him with a knee! Bang hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly, a Canadian Destroyer, and a top-rope 450 Splash for the pin. That was a really good match.
5. Trevor Outlaw defeated Solomon Tupu at 7:39. I’ve always compared the short Outlaw with his thick beard to Josh Goods and Marty Scurll. I don’t recall seeing Tupu before. Tupu is like Bronson Reed but not as round; he’s heavyset with a full beard. They immediately brawled and went to the floor, and Tupu held Outlaw’s arms so fans could chop Trevor. In the ring, Tupu hit a rolling cannonball for a nearfall at 4:00. Outlaw hit a CrossRhodes swinging faceplant for a neafall. Tupu hit an F5 faceplant for a believable nearfall at 7:00. Outlaw hit an X-Factor faceplant for the pin. Better than I expected going in.
6. Sierra and Regan Lysdale defeated Missa Kate and Aminah Belmont at 11:42. Sierra is blonde and I’ve seen her a few times Regan has long brown hair and she has been on prior Freelance Wrestling shows and she’s fairly green. Missa Kate is a regular in NWA and she’s solid. I am fairly certain I haven’t seen Aminah before; she’s Black with big poofy hair. Belmont and Regan opened, and Regan slammed the tinier Aminah to the mat, then hit a dropkick. Missa Kate tagged in at 2:30 but it appears she jawed at her teammate. Regan hit a snap suplex; she and Sierra hit some quick team offense on Kate.
All four brawled to the floor. In the ring, Aminah placed Sierra’s feet on the ropes and hit a DDT. Kate choked Sierra in the ropes as Aminah kept the ref distracted. Regan finally made the hot tag at 7:30 and she hit some bodyslams, then a double clothesline on the heels. She hit a standing powerbomb on Aminah for a nearfall. Kate nailed a running knee to the back of Sierra’s head, then a LOUD chop on Regan’s chest, and they traded chops. Aminah hit a superkick on Regan. Kate accidentally kicked Aminah! Regan immediately hit a pumphandle slam to pin Aminah. This match had to top all expectations, too. Kate really showed why she gets booked in NWA; there is a toughness to her.
* Ryan Matthews returned to the ring. With his short, slicked-back black hair, he reminds me of a young Jimmy Rave with the youthful cockiness of Austin Theory. I don’t think I’ve seen him before. He has a mystery opponent!
7. Robert Anthony defeated Ryan Matthews at 9:54. “The man who’s name is on the company!” the commentator said as Robert “Ego” Anthony came to the ring in a Flair-like robe. Anthony is a 20-year veteran; I saw him in an AEW Dark match in Chicago last August, and he’s the masked Cyon in NWA. Matthews attacked from behind before the bell, but Anthony quickly took control and hti some chops, then a delayed vertical suplex at 1:30. Matthews hit a back suplex and stomped on Anthony, and he jawed at the crowd. Anthony hit a swinging faceplant for a nearfall at 6:00.
Anthony hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall. He accidentally hit a Helluva Kick on the ref! Matthews immediately slammed Anthony’s shoulder into a ring corner. He got a kendo stick and jabbed it into Anthony’s ribs, and he was loudly booed. Robert Anthony’s son, maybe 8-9 years old, leapt into the ring and covered his dad! Matthews looked like he was going to punch the kid! However, the boy hit a low blow punt kick and he hit Matthews across the back with the kendo stick! Anthony hit a Death Valley Driver for the pin,, and he and celebrated with his son. The crowd POPPED for the son hitting the low blow and blow to the back.
8. Homicide defeated Koda Hernandez at 13:58. I’ve compared Koda to Mike Santana, and repeatedly written that he’s on the verge of breaking out of the Midwest scene. The commentators said we are “celebrating 30 years of Homicide” in wrestling, and fans pelted him with streamers. Koda hit a shotgun dropkick at the bell, then a dive through the ropes. He hit a slingshot suplex back into the ring for a nearfall. Koda has a clear size advantage. They brawled on the floor, with Homicide slamming him into a pillar. They brawled up onto the stage, where Homicide hit a bodyslam at 2:00. They got back into the ring with Homicide in charge, as he sent Koda face-first into a chair in the corner. Hernandez tossed a chair at his face, so I guess this is no-disqualification.
Homicide pulled out a fork and he jabbed it into the forehead, but then into the armpit at 5:00! Koda was bleeding above an eye. Hernandez set up a door in a corner. Koda hit a snap suplex at 8:30. He hit an Exploder Suplex, tossing Homicide through the door, for a nearfall. Homicide hit a belly-to-belly overhead suplex, sending Koda through a different door in the opposite corner at 10:30. They traded punches and chops. Koda nailed a leaping Flatliner faceplant, then a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. Homicide set up for the Cop Killah but Koda escaped. Koda leapt off the ropes, but Homicide caught his head and hit a stunner through a door bridge! Homicide then hit a second-rope stunner for the clean pin. Good brawl; I can do without the fork jabbing but it was good otherwise. Homicide pulled Koda to his feet, shook his hand, and they hugged.
Final Thoughts: A nice main event and Koda didn’t need to win to show why he’s a rising star in the Midwest. Bang and Matthews put together a nice match without either of them getting angry at their teammate; no hint one is about to turn on the other. That takes second place. I’ll go with Outlaw-Tupu for third, with the women’s tag getting honorable mention. Lighting was good and this was nightclub made for a fun atmosphere for a show. On the downside, I can do without the clown acts. The Brothers of Funstruction just don’t work for me here or in NWA. Frank the Clown always gets go-away heat from me too. Cabana is a fun act and a good wrestler, and I’d rather see him in a match than wasted in this arm wrestling stuff.
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