By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Alpha-1 Wrestling “Deadly Encounter”
March 24, 2024 in Hamilton, Ontario at the KOC Hall
Available via YouTube.com
This show aired live and free on YouTube. They’ve run a show from this ballroom before; there is a chandelier in the center of the room (obviously not over the ring.) This room is packed with maybe 400 fans. I want to point out a LOT of St. Louis-based wrestlers have made a roughly 11-hour trek to be on this show.
* Ethan Page came out to greet the fans; he is not dressed to wrestle. He introduced AEW’s Ortiz; Page said they will be doing commentary tonight. Ortiz then introduced Isiah Kassidy from Private Party! Kassidy is joining the first match and making it a three-way!
1. Kody Lane defeated Isiah Kassidy and Alec Price in a three-way to become No. 1 contender to the Zero Gravity Title at 10:32. I always compare Lane to Juice Robinson. This should be a really good match. Price rolled to the floor at the bell, so he’s going to be a heel here. Kody and Isiah traded some quick reversals; Page noted Private Party will face the Young Bucks on Wednesday. The babyfaces hit some offense on Price. Isiah hit a standing neckbreaker on Price at 3:00. Lane hit a huracanrana. Lane hit a slingshot sentence on Kassidy, then a dive through the ropes onto Price.
Price hit a running back elbow in the corner on Lane at 5:00, then a basement dropkick for a nearfall. Price nailed a half-nelson suplex, then a running kneestrike in the corner, then a second-rope flying leg lariat for a nearfall. Price hit a half-nelson suplex on Isiah. Lane hit a Death Valley Driver on Price for a nearfall at 8:00. Isiah hit a springboard crossbody block on Lane. Price hit a springboard Blockbuster and suddenly all three were down. This has been an excellent opener. Isiah hit a stunner on Lane, then a Swanton Bomb. However, Price threw Isiah to the floor; Price and Lane traded rollups for believable nearfalls, and Lane finally got the three-count. That was really good action.
* Backstage, Dan the Dad, Ethan Price and (Bear) Bronson spoke. Dan kept calling Ethan as “son” and I don’t know if it’s meant as a figure of speech or if the storyline is Ethan is actually Dan’s son. (That would be a stretch!) They built this promo around how Dan would not let Price drink Bronson’s “Savage sauce.”
2. Josh Bishop won a six-way elimination match to retain the Outer Limits Title at 7:14. Eliminations can happen by pin, submission, and being thrown over the top rope to the floor. Participants are: Sam Holloway, Isaiah Broner, Jessie V, Karam, Dan Barry, Josh Bishop. A LOT of big men in this one, plus Dan Barry. I don’t say that to be mean, cute or funny; he’s clearly the lone short guy in a match with a lot of beef. Broner hit a Samoan Drop. Karam and Holloway traded chops. Bishop and Holloway stood toe-to-toe and traded chops at 2:30, and Bishop tossed Holloway and eliminated him at 2:54! Broner hit a hard clothesline on Barry. Jessie V flipped Broner out at 3:58.
Jessie V hit a bodyslam and pinned Karam at 4:29, and we are down to just three! Barry hit dives through the ropes on boh Bishop and Jessie V. Bishop hit a Black Hole Slam and pinned Barry at 5:28. Jessie V immediately hit a missile dropkick on Bishop for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Bishop hit a headbutt that knocked Jessie V off the apron to the floor, ending the match. The complaint here is this match could have easily been twice this long; it doesn’t do anyone any good to be pinned this quickly and easily.
* Ethan Page stood up from the commentary table and told Bishop he will be defending the title May 19 against both Ace Romero and Lance Archer!
* Backstage, Isiah Kassidy said he wants to see some more of the action tonight. Isiah joined commentary.
3. Eric Cairnie defeated Ichiban at 3:06. My first time seeing Cairnie, who is taller, white and he barked at the crowd. He hit a running neckbreaker for a nearfall. Ichiban hit some punches in the corner and a stunner at 2:00, then a missile dropkick. He hit a German Suplex. Cairnie hit a sit-out Michinoku Driver for the pin out of nowhere. Far too short!
* Backstage, Rickey Shane Page and teammate Brett Michael David showed off their tag team title belts.
4. Dan the Dad, Ethan Price, and Bronson defeated Derek Dillinger, Channing Thomas, and Kubes at 11:38. The crowd cheered for Dan. The rotund brawler Dillinger opened against the under-sized Price, and Ethan hit some basement dropkicks. Bronson got in and hit a seeries of punches in the corner on Thomas at 3:00. Bronson and Dillinger traded chops and fans chanted “meat!” Dan and Bronson hit a team Spinebuster move for a nearfall. Dillinger hit a side slam and a senton on Dan for a nearfall at 5:30, and the heels began working over Dan. Channing hit a bodyslam and a weird, twisting elbow drop, and the crowd began rallying for Dan.
Dan took a drink of Bronson’s “savage sauce,” fired up, and hit some punches. Bronson got the hot tag at 7:30 and he beat up the heels. Bronson hit a piledriver on Channing onto Kubes for a nearfall. Price got the hot tag. Dillinger grabbed Price’s head and swung him to the mat and got a nearfall. Kubes clotheslned Price. Price was knocked out, so Bronson and Dan poured their drinks down Ethan’s throat; Ethan fired up like Popeye (do kids even get that reference?) and hit German Suplexes on all the heels. Price hit a Death Valley Driver on the big Dillinger for the pin. Decent comedy that the crowd was into.
* Rohit Raju came out and he has a mystery opponent. Raju got on the mic and demanded the crowd show him some respect. Ethan Page got on the mic, turned to Ortiz, and asked him to be referee for the next match. Ortiz promptly stood up and put on a referee T-shirt. The mystery opponent is Evil Uno, and he got a huge pop!
5. Evil Uno defeated Rohit Raju to win the Alpha One Zero Gravity Title at 10:30, with special guest referee Ortiz. The commentators pointed out that Uno is in new black-and-metallic green gear. Uno hit some loud chops and a basement dropkick at 2:00, and Raju bailed to the floor. Raju grabbed a title belt but Ortiz confiscated it. Uno was doing some cheating while Ortiz was blissfully unaware of it. Raju took charge and choked Uno in the ropes and he kept Uno grounded. He hit a Russian Legsweep for a nearfall at 7:00. Uno hit a Stinger Splash, then a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker for a nearfall.
Raju hit a swinging neckbreaker at 8:30, then a top-rope doublestomp for a nearfall. Raju got a title belt, hit Uno with it, and got a nearfall; Ortiz saw the belt and stopped counting. Ortiz and Raju stood nose-to-nose and argued. Raju shoved Ortiz so Ortiz kicked him. Uno got a rollup for a nearfall. Uno then hit a swinging Flatliner faceplant for the pin. Cool finisher and I’m not describing it well. New champion!
* Ethan Page got in the ring to interview Uno. However, Raju grabbed the mic and complained. He called them all cowards, saying the three of them had to conspire and work together to beat him. Ethan Page said Kody Lane won the No. 1 contender’s match earlier in the night, and Lane will get a title shot May 19. Page asked Evil Uno if he was willing to include Raju in that match and it would become a triple threat, and Uno said yes.
* Backstage Laynie Luck and Nyla Rose talked strategy for their tag match. Rose said that Luck “hired her” and that Laynie still owes her some money. Laynie told Nyla she will get the money when they win. I sense this tag team situation won’t end well…
6. “Fight or Flight” Vaughn Vertigo & Gabriel Fuerza defeated “MIracle Generation” Kylon King & Dustin Waller and “PME” Philly Collins & Marino Tenaglia and “Sad Buds” Rickey Shane Page & Brett Michael David in a four-way elimination tag to win the Alpha 1 Tag Team Titles at 8:35. Vertigo is the rocker who gives off heel Adam Cole or James Drake vibes and I’m a fan. As I noted earlier, RSP and BMD are the champions entering the match. RSP and Vaughn opened; Vaughn’s shoulder tackles had no effect. PME entered and worked over Fuerza. Kylon hit a senton on Collins for a nearfall at 3:30.
Collins hit a DDT for a nearfall on Kylon. BMD hit a standing powerbomb for a pin on BME at 5:27. Waller hit a Mamba Splash/frogsplash on RSP, but Vaughn stole the pin on RSP at 6:10! We are down to just Fight or Flight vs. Miracle Generation. Kylon hit a stunner on Vaughn. Fuerza hit a Lungblower on Kylon, and Vaughn immediately hit a Swanton Bomb on Kylon for the pin. Ths was ridiculously short for the quality of wrestlers in this match; it felt like it barely started when it was over.
7. Nyla Rose and Laynie Luck defeated Jody Threat and Gabby Forza at 18:08. Jody and Laynie opened. Jody tried a shoulder tackle on Nyla but Jody went flying. Gabby entered at 2:00 and squared off with Nyla. Jody hit a headscissors takedown on Nyla. Gabby hit a shoulder tackle on Laynie at 5:30. The heels began working over Gabby. Nyla hit a Rude Awakening neckbreaker, but missed a frogsplash at 8:00. Nyla hit a shinbreaker over her knee for a nearfall. Laynie applied a modified Figure Four on the mat and kept Gabby tied up.
Jody finally got the hot tag at 12:00 and she hit a series of forearm strikes on Laynie, then running double knees to her back, then a German Suplex. Jody hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall at 14:00. Nyla hit a Death Valley Driver on Jody, dropping her across Laynie’s knees for a nearfall at 16:30. Gabby hit a gorilla press on teammate Jody, tossing her to the floor onto Nyla! However, Laynie hit a running knee to the side of the head and pinned Gabby! I didn’t expect that outcome. This match perhaps went a bit too long and stayed in second gear.
* Nyla Rose got on the mic and said she kept her “end of the bargain” because they won, and Nyla now wants to get paid. “You paid a deposit; I want the rest of my money.” Jody got on the mic and pointed out that she wasn’t pinned. Laynie slapped Jody. Meanwhile, Nyla set up a table in the corner! Nyla nailed a spinebuster on Jody onto the table in the corner, earning a “holy shit!” chant.
8. Space Monkey defeated Shane Sabre, Mark Wheeler, and Alessandro Del Bruno in a four-way elimination match for the Alpha Male Title at 20:26. Wheeler’s size and look always makes me think of Mark Briscoe. Space Monkey is a fun, acceptable undercard wrestler but I don’t see him as main event tier. Del Bruno dresses like a soccer player. Sabre has grown his beard out and he’s a good heel. Del Bruno “pulled out a red card” on Sabre, then hit a standing moonsault at 1:30. Former friends Sabre and Space Monkey traded punches. We had a four-way submission spot at 4:30. SM hit a monkey flip into the corner on Del Bruno. Suddenly everyone was down; the crowd chanted for “monkey!”
Del Bruno hit a neckbreaker on the ring apron. After a messy spot, all four were down on the floor at 8:00. Wheeler hit a Flatliner. Del Bruno hit a flipping powerbomb on Wheeler for a believable nearfall. Del Bruno hit a stunner on Sabre at 10:00. He hit a hard punt to the face in the corner. Sabre hit an Air Raid Crash. Del Bruno hit a DDT. Wheeler grabbed Del Bruno, slammed him and pinned him at 13:23. Space Monkey hit a stunner on Wheeler, then a Lionsault Press for a nearfall. Wheeler hit a Falcon Arrow on SM for a nearfall.
Sabre hit a hard clothesline on Wheeler at 16:00, then he hit a stunner on Wheeler. Space Monkey hit Wheeler with his tail and pinned him at 16:22, leaving us with the former teammates, and the crowd fully behind Space Monkey. They traded forearm strikes. SM hit a Michinoku Driver for a believable nearfall. He hit a shotgun dropkick. Sabre hit a Death Valley Driver into the corner for a nearfall. Sabre hit a standing powerbomb. SM whipped Sabre with his tail and pinned him. New champion! I didn’t expect that.
* Fuerza came to the ring and pointed out that Sabre’s foot was under the ropes! (What ever happened to the ref’s decision is final?) Thus, the match will continue! The bell rang again!
8b. Shane Sabre defeated Space Monkey at 00:06. Sabre immediately hit a spear to pin Space Monkey to retain the title. The heels celebrated in the ring.
Final Thoughts: I’ve never understood the idea behind the “the Dusty Finish.” I don’t know why you tease a title change then pull the rug out from under your fans’ feet by not letting them see the title change actually happen. The main event was alright but it wasn’t “good” either. The show opener Price-Kassidy-Lane easily earns best match. I’m not a fan of the rapid-fire pinfalls, but I’ll go with the tag team title four-way for second best, with Evil Uno-Raju for third place. I can’t complain too much about a free show that fans were clearly quite into. However, the women’s tag went far too long, especially compared to some earlier matches that could have used a few more minutes.
Okay, how do I address the commentary issue? I’m thrilled Ethan Page has started these shows and providing them for free on YouTube. And he’s clearly having fun and laughing in the booth with his friends. But, wow, I hate the commentary. He’s having fun and joking around, but I’d much rather have a conventional commentary team. At times, this show was flat-out hard to listen to. The last show, they used Reed Duthie, a hockey commentator who also does all the Glory Pro Wrestling shows, and he’s solid. Hopefully he can return next show and be the play-by-play man while Page engages in his banter on color.
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