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
WrestlePro “Return to Rahway”
March 9, 2024 in Rahway, New Jersey at the Rahway Rec Center
Replay available via YouTube.com
This show was just released for free on YouTube by the Premier Wrestling Network. Josh Shernoff and Dave Sturchio provided commentary. This is a gymnasium with bleachers, which are sparsely filled. Attendance is maybe 200. The lights are low. There are a LOT of wrestlers on this show I’ve never heard of before.
1. Cheeseburger defeated Leo Sparrow at 7:10. I’ve seen Sparrow a couple of times in Create A Pro Wrestling; his look reminds me of a young Paul London and he’s the heel. Cheeseburger still has the scrawniest build in pro wrestling and he’s beloved. Sparrow hit a dive to the floor. Cheeseburger hit the Jushin Liger palm strike for the pin. Not much to it.
2. El Magnifico defeated Isaac Alvarez, J-Heru, and Yoscifer El in a four-way at 8:20. All four are new to me. J-Heru is Black and bald. Alvarez wore a black-and-red singlet that reminds me of the SAT. El Magnfico has long, curly hair coming out from under his mask, like Juventud Guerrera. Yoscifer is “from 4,000 BC” and is essentially a voodoo caveman, somewhat Papa Shango, somewhat Viking Raider. The tiny Magnfico hit a top-rope dive to the floor onto everyone at 4:00. In the ring, J-Heru hit the Three Amigos rolling suplexes on Magnfico and was booed. Yoscifer El hit a chokeslam on Magnifico at 7:00. Magnifico hit a frogsplash on J-Heru for the pin. Adaqeute action; all four are clearly green but they made it work.
* A pre-recorded video of CPA walking into the building earlier in the day and he looks dejected. His main event match later is billed as “title vs. career.” CPA said the only certainties in life are “death and taxes” and he’s “not here to die.”
3. Lady Frost defeated Ultra Violette at 6:11. Ultra Violette was trained at Amazing Red’s New York-based House of Glory wrestling, and of course, Frost is now competing regularly in ROH. UV hit a snap suplex at 2:30 and was in control early. Frost hit a vicious spin kick to the head. Frost hit a top-rope corkscrew splash for the pin. Good action. The commentators said Frost “sent a message to everyone at AEW and ROH” with that win.
* Frost got on the mic and thanked the fans. She was the first-ever WrestlePro women’s champion. However, she said her title was stolen from her. She wants a shot at the winner of a women’s match later in the show!!!
4. Colton Charles, GKM, and Max St. Giovanni defeated TJ Crawford and “Brick City” Julio Cruz and Victor Chase at 8:36. I am well familiar with TJ and Brick City and they are good heels. I have seen Max just once (he definitely looks like his brother), but I don’t know his teammates. TJ Crawford opened against GKM, who reminds me of Rich Swann. Max entered at 1:30 and he fought Cruz. Colton is tall and thick; think Powerhouse Hobbs. Colton hit a big Vader Bomb for a nearfall at 5:00, and he traded chops with Victor. All six got up and brawled. Max hit a springboard spin kick on TJ. Colton hit a double clothesline at 7:00. TJ hit a Flatliner with one arm and a Shellshock face plant with the other. TJ leapt off the top rope but Colton absolutely cut him in half with a devastating spear for the pin. I enjoyed this and definitely want to see more of GKM and Colton.
5. Justin Corino defeated Eli Isom at 7:45. Isom was heavily used at the end of the ROH Sinclair era, and I always felt like he was on the verge of breaking out; he’s had just a handful of AEW TV matches. Corino looks like Curtis Axel, and he power walked to the ring in a Robert Roode-like jacket. Isom hit a dropkick at 2:00 that sent Corino to the floor. Corino hit a uranage onto the ring apron, and he took charge in the ring. He hit a basement clothesline for a nearfall at 4:30, then a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall. Isom fired back with a swinging back suplex and they were both down. Corino nailed a Michinoku Driver for a believable nearfall at 7:00. Isom hit an enzuigiri and a deadlift German Suplex for a nearfall. Corino yanked Isom to the mat by his hair, then hit a clothesline for the cheap pin.
6. “Dark” Fallah Bahh and “Dark” Steve Gipke defeated Traxx and Victor Benjamin via DQ to retain the WrestlePro Tag Team Titles at 1:24. With his deep singlet, Traxx always makes me think of Ryback. I was always a big fan of Bahh, but I do worry about his health, as he lost a lot of weight, only to quickly gain it back, during the pandemic era. Both Bahh and Gipke are “Dark” now, wearing demonic makeup (think WCW-era Vampiro). I’ve seen Gipke just a few times and he’s muscular. Bahh and Gipke were dominating, so Traxx hit them with a weapon, and the ref called for the bell! (The heel commentator quipped that it was a time-limit draw and that the match just “flew by.”)
* Traxx and Victor tried to head to the back. However, Kevin Matthews hit the ring and he said no one wants to see a disqualification end the match. He ordered the match be re-started but is now no-DQ!
6b) Traxx and Victor Benjamin defeated Fallah Bahh and Steve Gipke in a no DQ match to retain the WrestlePro Tag Team Titles at 11:04. A garbage can filled with weapons was wheeled out from the back! Bahh and Gipke hit them with chairs and a barbed-wire ironing board! Bahh hit a belly-to-belly suplex and was going for a pin on Victor, but Traxx used a staple gun on Fallah to break up the pin. Traxx put a staple near Fallah’s left eye. Bahh got tossed into the barbed-wire ironing board at 7:00. In the ring, Gipke choked Benjamin with a thick chain. Benjamin tied Gipke in a Triangle Choke, but Bahh hit a BIG legdrop for the save. Bahh missed a running splash in the corner. Traxx hit Bahh over the head with a cookie sheet. Both Traxx and Victor hit running knees to knock Bahh down, then they both covered him for the pin. Okay action.
* Intermission is 17 minutes, but hey, it’s youtube, so easy to fast-forward over it.
7. Crowbar and Tyler Mann defeated “QGTM” Jey Mesias and Pat Fitzpatrick at 8:50. I just saw the QGTM team for the first time a week or so ago. The announcers admittedly knew nothing about them, and one even referred to them as “OGTM” not realizing the first letter is a “Q.” Pat looks like a young Nick Gage, while Mesias is Latino with long, curly hair. Mann is scrawny and really young with curly black hair; he could easily be Crowbar’s son. The heels extensively worked over Mann and I bet Crowbar had more matches in 1999 than these other three have had total in their life. (This feels like watching a Young Lion match in New Japan Pro Wrestling, with Tomoaki Honma as the lone veteran guiding them through it.) Pat hit a bodyslam on Crowbar at 6:00. Mann hit a uranage out of nowhere to pin Fitzpatrick. Acceptable.
8. Sereena Deeb defeated Ava Everett to retain the WrestlePro Women’s Title at 15:49. This should be really good. Ava has competed in Europe and is back in the mix in MLW. Deeb got a huge pop and was introduced as “the woman of 1,000 holds.” (Did Dean Malenko authorize that?) Right on cue, the heel commentator referenced Deano Machino, and he noted that with her high thong sticking out from her pants, Ava looks like Lita. Sereena immediately tied her up on the mat. They traded standing switches. Deeb tied her in the Paradise Lock at 4:30. (Did Sanada teach that to her?) She playfully kicked Ava in the butt before hitting a dropkick to free Everett.
Deeb hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip and Ava sold the pain in her left knee. Everett hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 7:00 and she choked Deeb on the mat, and was in charge of the action. They hit double clotheslines and were both down at 10:30. Deeb hit a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. Ava hit a Flatliner for a nearfall. Deeb nailed a short-arm clothesline for a believable nearfall at 13:30. Deeb applied a half-crab in the center of the ring, but Ava reached the ropes. Ava hit a Lungblower to the chest for a nearfall. Deeb repeatedly slammed the left knee into the mat then again applied the half-crab, and this time Ava tapped out. That was really good stuff.
9. Dan Maff defeated Deonn Rusman to become No. 1 contender at 12:12. ROH original Maff now reminds me of watching Tyrus; he’s so slow now, but he’s big and I believe he can legit beat up just about anyone he’s in the ring with; just don’t ask him to chase anyone. I don’t know Rusman at all; he’s big and muscular with long curly hair; think WCW-era Chuck Palumbo. An intense lockup and the traded punches. Rusman was down on the floor; Maff barked at the female referee and even shoved her as she was counting Rusman out, and the crowd loudly booed him. She got angry and repeatedly poked him in the chest and he backed down.
Rusman hit a uranage for a nearfall at 4:30. Maff applied a rear-naked choke. He hit a stunner for a nearfall, and he stomped on Rusman and kept him grounded. Rusman hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 8:30. Rusman hit a spear and they were both down. They brawled to the floor, where Rusman hit another spear at 10:30. A masked, scrawny man got in the ring! Rusman speared him and tossed him to the floor. However, Maff hit Rusman in the back of the head and applied a rear-naked choke. Rusman writhed and came close to escaping, but he passed out. Okay big-man match. Rusman has a good look.
10. Shawn Donavan defeated Leon St. Giovanni to retain the WrestlePro Silver Title at 13:46. LSG had a nice run in ROH in the Sinclair era. I don’t know Donovan at all; he’s bald and has a lot of white hair in his goatee; he’s at least 45. I don’t see an age for him online but I’m reading he’s a 23-year pro. His outfit makes me think of gear worn by Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. An intense lockup to open and they brawled. Donovan hit an eye poke and a neckbreaker for a nearfall at 3:30. He choked LSG in the ropes and was in charge, and kept LSG grounded. LSG hit a back suplex and they were both down at 8:30.
They got up and traded punches. LSG hit a pop-up clothesline and a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Donovan hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. LSG got a Crucifix Driver for a nearfall. Donovan was really blown up all of a sudden; he dropped LSG on a powerbomb, and he looked winded while hitting a clothesline. LSG hit a second-rope flying clothesline at 13:30, then an enzuigiri. Donovan pulled the ref in the way, then hit a low blow punt kick and a DDT for the cheap pin. I can’t say I liked what I saw from Donovan.
11. CPA defeated Vargas (w/Kristian Robinson) to win the WrestlePro Gold Title at 16:57. This match was billed as a “title vs. career” match. Vargas is a big Samoan (listed at 282 pounds) with who wears face paint; think Jacob Fatu but not as talented. (Sorry!) He’s MUCH bigger than the short, scrawny accountant. I like CPA alright, but I don’t see him in a headliner role. CPA hit a missile dropkick and they brawled to the floor. CPA hit a rolling splash off the apron onto Vargas. The referee ejected Kristian at 2:30 for interfering.
Vargas remained in charge in the ring and kept CPA grounded. Vargas avoided the comedy 619. Vargas hit a Stinger Splash on the ref! CPA hit his comedy 619, then another missile dropkick for a visual pin but we had no ref. CPA hit three stunners and got another visual pinfall. A female ref came out, but Kristian returned and pulled her to the floor, then he shoved her to the ground! Vargas hit CPA with a chair. Vargas hit a standing powerbomb onto a folded chair for a believable nearfall at 10:00.
CPA hit a Death Valley Driver on Kristian, tossing him onto Vargas in a corner and sending them both through a table in the corner! Vargas spun several times before hitting a Samoan Drop. CPA popped to his feet and hit a low blow and a powerbomb for a nearfall at 13:30. Vargas hit a second-rope frogsplash for a nearfall. He intentionally splashed onto the male ref and was booed! CPA ripped off his shirt revealing another one underneath. He hit a Samoan Drop from the second rope; the female referee rolled back in and made the three-count! An alright match; I just don’t see CPA in this role.
Final Thoughts: I’ll go with Deeb-Everett for best match. They had a good AEW-style mat-based match. The TJ and Brick City six-man tag takes second-best, and I really liked what I saw of the guys in that match I hadn’t seen before. I will give the main event third-best, but will reiterate that CPA and his brand of comedy certainly has a place on wrestling shows. I just don’t see it in the main event, with him holding a title belt.
Be the first to comment