By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Suplex Vintage Wrestling “Suplexmania: Block Party”
Streamed on Independentwrestling.tv/
April 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Suplex Vintage Wrestling
This was among more than a dozen indy wrestling shows held in and around Philadelphia during WrestleMania weekend. This event was held outdoors at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the ring in the center of a downtown street, and businesses visibly on both sides of the ring, as the hard camera points down the street. The outdoor crowd is packed together but it is clearly quite cold out; if you recall, WrestleMania Night 1 was much colder than Night 2. It is fair to say there are at least 800 people watching this show.
I found a South Philly Review news article about this event. Suplex Vintage Wrestling is a shop (adjacent to where the ring is set up) that sells wrestling memorabilia. The owners got permission to close this street down from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for wrestling-related festivities, free of charge. And of course, there were food trucks and a beer garden.
I don’t recognize a few names at all on this lineup so we undoubtedly have some trainees or fairly new wrestlers here. We have two “pre-show matches.”
1. William Phillips defeated Davon Anderson at 4:40. I don’t know either of these two. Davon is a scrawny kid who is likely still in high school and he wore generic black pants. Phillips wore teal-and-pink and gives off a vibe of being an aerobics instructor in the 1980s and he hit the ring to “Whip It” by Devo. Yes, the commentators said these two are making their debuts; they are students at Catchpoint. Phillips hit a frogsplash for the pin. He showed a lot of charisma.
2. Thunder Frog won a South Street Rumble at 20:18. We are told there are 18 wrestlers and they are all students, so I won’t know them. No. 1 is Thunder Frog; I saw this comedy masked wrestler at a F1rst Wrestling show (but this easily could be anyone in that outfit.) No. 2 is Worker Ant. Danger Hawk is No. 3. Billy Avery is No. 4, looking like every anemic comic shop worker I’ve ever met. Okay, we are starting with these four, and then it becomes a Royal Rumble with entrants every 30 seconds. Leslie Butterscotch is No. 5 at 2:30 and he has quite a mullet. La Estrella is No. 6; he is one of the Dragon Gate guys, and he’s no student! Rulo is No. 7; there are no names on-screen so I may have that wrong. Danger Hawk was tossed for the first elimination.
Alejo Rojas is No. 8. Ethan Rowen is No. 9; he’s Black with long braided hair. Bendam Bean is No. 10. “City Wide” entered together at 11 and 12. xxxx is No. 13; the announcers are talking over each other to the point I can’t hear the names of who is coming in. I didn’t catch the name of No. 14. Brandon Houdini is No. 15; he is Black with a great physique. I didn’t catch the name of No. 16. Boom Harden is No. 17. I didn’t catch the name of No. 18. If the commentators know these guys’ names, they aren’t saying. (They pointed out the great robe of the last guy in but never said his name.) Zenith is No. 19 and she is the first woman to enter the match. She bodyslammed a scrawny kid and got a pop. Topa, a masked man, is No. 20, so we have exceeded the number of people they said would be in it.
I’ve seen this spot before; Thunder Frog leapt off the top rope, hit the middle of the ring with a hammer, and it was so powerful, it knocked nearly everyone down or over the top rope, and just a few were left in the ring. Very Chikara-style comedy. We have four left: Worker Ant, Thunder Frog, Estrella and Boom Harden. Estrella was tossed. Worker Ant was tossed. Thunder Frog clotheslined Boom Harden over the top rope to win. Clearly a LOT of students among those 20.
* The commentators told us they would be back at 1 p.m. for the main card. Any break between matches here was edited out.
3. Nick Wayne defeated Marcus Mathers at 13:01. This is one of the matches I tuned in for. Philly native Mathers wore 1980s-style Phillies-inspired ring gear. Mathers just turned 21 so their combined age is 39. They took turns playing to the crowd, and of course the fans cheered for the guy wearing Phillies gear. They were going to hug but Wayne kicked him in the gut at 2:30 for the first contact of the match. Marcus hit a Shotgun dropkick and a mule kick for a nearfall, and Wayne rolled to the floor to regroup. (Worth reiterating the fans jawing at Wayne are wearing winter jackets and hats, while Wayne is bare-chested.) They got back in the ring with Mathers hitting some punches and was in charge.
Wayne hit a huracanrana at 5:00, popped to his feet to celebrate, and was loudly booed. Wayne was now in charge and hit some stiff kicks to the spine at 7:30. Mathers fired up and hit a fadeaway stunner and a German Suplex with a bridge for a nearfall. Wayne hit a Lethal Injection and a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 9:30 and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Wayne hit a superkick and a snap German Suplex, then a flying knee. Mathers fired back with a brainbuster and they were both down at 12:00. Mathers hit a pop-up stunner. Wayne hit a Crucifix Driver and a Wayne’s World fadeaway stunner for the clean pin. The crowd booed this outcome. That could have been the main event.
* Nick Wayne got on the mic. He put over Mathers for having 10 matches over the weekend and said he’s one of the hardest-working guys on the indy scene.
4. Desean Pratt defeated Matt Quay at 8:23. I’ve seen Quay a few times now; he has a red mullet and is pretty decent. I don’t know Pratt at all; he’s Black, muscular and tattooed, and apparently a veteran of the New Jersey scene. Quay hit some bodyslams early on. Pratt hit a Stomp on the head on the ring apron at 3:00 and took control. Pratt hit a huracanrana and a Mafia Kick for a nearfall at 6:00. Quay hit a neckbreaker over his knee for a believable nearfall. Quay came off the top rope but Pratt caught him with a kick. Pratt hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest for the clean pin. I enjoyed that.
5. Jada Stone defeated Zayda Steel at 8:12. Jada is a short, Black athletic woman with long braids and she just competed in an all-women’s show in California, so she’s getting noticed. Zayda, of course, has been on MLW TV and she’s a great young heel. Zayda got on the mic and said she’s doing terrible; she should on WrestleMania but instead “she’s in an alley freezing her ass off.” The commentators noted it has started to rain, and Zayda actually zipped up her hoodie rather than removing it. They went to tie up, and Jada ripped off Zayda’s hoodie, then she hit a headscissors takedown. Zayda immediately put the hoodie back on at 2:00. “Everyone here is wearing coats! Why are the fans upset she’s putting it on?” a commentator said.
Jada hit a buzzsaw kick. Zayda hit a German Suplex. They brawled to the floor. Back in the ring, Zayda was in charge. Jada hit a spin kick to the head at 6:30, and she repeatedly stomped on Zayda. Zayda hit a Split-legged Moonsault out of the corner that popped the crowd, and she got a nearfall. Zayda hit a Lungblower to the chest. Jada hit a clothesline. They hit simultaneous discus forearm strikes and both were down at 8:00. Zayda set up for the Unprettier, but Jada avoided it, hit a stunner, and scored the pin. These are two top-notch rising talents.
6. Eran Ashe defeated Mr. Grim at 5:05. I don’t know these two. Ashe is Black, bald and maybe 350 pounds. Mr. Grim also is Black with short hair, and also quite large but not as big as Ashe. The fans chanted “Meat!” at these two big guys. They immediately traded chops and forearm strikes. “That meat is getting tenderized!” a commentator said. Ashe hit a Stinger Splash. Grim hit a spear into the corner. Grim hit a flip dive to the floor and landed on his feet at 4:00; I didn’t expect that from a guy his size. In the ring, Ashe hit a uranage and a big senton, then a bodyslam for the pin. That was good for the time given; these two didn’t need to go any longer than this.
* A woman in ring gear walked to the ring; she is wearing a mask and with the mic echo, I can’t understand her.
7. “The REP” Dave McCall and Nate Carter defeated “Post Game” Mike Walker and Vinny Talotta to retain the BSP Tri-State Tag Titles at 11:15. Post Game have teamed with Quay a few times and they are good heel trio; they are the arrogant frat boys. I don’t think I’ve seen The REP team; they are both Black and McCall is tall with short hair, while Carter is thicker with long braids. Walker opened but he couldn’t knock Carter down. Post Game worked over McCall. Carter slammed Walker onto a guardrail at ringside at 4:00. In the ring, The REP hit a team uranage on Walker for a nearfall. Carter hit some hiptosses, flipping Walker across the ring as they stayed in charge.
Talotta got the hot tag at 6:30 and hit some clotheslines. He speared both opponents into a corner. The REP threw their opponents’ backs into each other, drawing a “holy shit!” chant at 8:30. Talotta hit a winding uranage for a nearfall. Carter (on the floor) grabbed Walker’s ankle, pulled him to the floor, and whipped him into the ring post. In the ring, The Rep hit a team Flatliner faceplant move on Talotta for the pin. Good match.
8. Shaun Smith defeated Terry Yaki and Jay Lucas in a three-way at 11:53. All three are young, athletic Black men. Yaki is an Atlanta-area talent who has competed in Japan. I don’t know the other two. Smith came out last and he’s thin in red trunks; a commentator said Smith “literally has a rocket strapped to his back” and I hate that he has no idea what the word “literal” means. Smith hit a top-rope flying double clothesline. He hit a rolling Death Valley Driver at 2:30, then a handspring-back-elbow on Yaki. Yaki and Lucas took turns suplexing Smith and were working together, but of course, they began to argue and fight.
We had some superkicks and everyone was down at 6:00. Smith hit some impressive kicks and a Blue Thunder Bomb, then a chokeslam, then a spinning Tombstone Piledriver for a believable nearfall. Lucas hit a Jay Driller for a nearfall. Yaki hit a Canadian Destroyer out of the corner for a nearfall at 7:30, but Smith made the save. Yaki and Lucas fought on the ropes in the corner; Smith jumped up there and hit a double Spanish Fly on both for a nearfall at 9:30! I’m impressed here. Yaki hit a sit-out powerbomb on Smith for a nearfall.
Lucas hit a standing powerbomb and a stunner on Yaki. Smith hit a running stunner. Smith hit a Sol Ruca-style flip stunner out of the corner! Smith hit a top-rope flying double stunner! Smith nailed a top-rope 630 Splash onto both, and scored the pin. WOW it has been a long time since someone has IMPRESSED me that much in my first time seeing them. (Update: I see Smith has been billed as “Rocket” in the past; I’ve seen him once in a four-way in GCW in January 2023. Still, I came away really impressed.)
* Smith got on the mic and put over his opponents, then he thanked the crowd for coming out.
9. Giffin McCoy defeated Jordan Oliver at 11:23. I do consider Oliver to be the top unsigned indy wrestler of 2023 and he just got back from a tour across Europe all winter. He and McCoy have teamed as Young, Dumb N Broke, and also previously fought. McCoy got on the mic and said it’s “top guy time” and earned boos. The commentators said these two have been in the ring together since they were 14. Good reversals early; they clearly know each other’s moveset well. Oliver hit a plancha to the floor at 4:30.
McCoy took control in the ring. He went for a frogsplash but Oliver got his knees up. Oliver hit a Clout Cutter for a believable nearfall at 9:00 and the crowd was fully behind Jordan. (It is now sunny and at least looks a bit warmer!) McCoy hit an enzuigiri. He went for a springboard move but Oliver caught him with a stunner. McCoy hit a half-nelson suplex and a springboard spin kick to the mouth for the clean pin! The crowd booed this outcome. A very good match, but yet I feel like they just scratched the surface of what they can do.
10. Jimmy Lloyd defeated Joey Janela at 13:53. These two certainly know each other well in GCW. A feeling-out process early. Lloyd hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 5:30. Janela hit a top-rope crossbody block, then running double knees to the chin, then a DDT for a nearfall. Janela hit a suplex and they were both down at 8:00. They hit simultaneous clotheslines. Lloyd knocked Janela down with a clothesline. They traded superkicks. Lloyd hit a Canadian Destroyer, so Janela hit one, and they were both down at 10:00.
They got up and traded chops. Lloyd hit a flying leg lariat for a nearfall. Lloyd brought a chair into the ring. However, Joey hit a Death Valley Driver across the open chair for a believable nearfall at 12:30. Joey got his own chair and he put it on Jimmy’s chest. He then hit a top-rope doublestomp onto the chair for a believable nearfall. Joey threw the chair at Lloyd’s head; I hate that. Lloyd hit a Rough Rider, then a swinging piledriver for the pin. Good action. I consider that a mild upset, too.
Final Thoughts: What a fun show, and what a great atmosphere. As I looked at the lineup, I briefly considered just tuning in for four of the 10 matches, so I’m glad I watched the whole thing. Wow, Shaun Smith impressed me. I’ve seen a fair amount of Jay Malachi (Ja’Von Evans) matches in his young career, and with his thin, lanky build, I can’t help but compare Smith to Evans. Just an eye-popping performance. As I noted above, I had seen him once before but it didn’t land with me like this match here did. Yes, his three-way gets best match from me, and it wasn’t on my radar as the show began. The main show-opener Mathers-Wayne takes second place. As I noted, Oliver-McCoy was so smooth and so good, but yet it felt like they saved a lot more for their next round; their match takes third. I’ll go with Jada-Zayda for honorable mention, ahead of the main event.
I’m fine with the two student showcases; they told us in advance these were trainees, and it was fine. My only complaint is it would have been nice to get their names on the screen to properly introduce all of them. Many guys on the main show here I’d never seen before going in — Pratt, Ashe, The REP — all topped my expectations. It shows me that even with all the indy wresting I’ve consumed, there are a lot of talented guys that just aren’t on the streamers I check out. This show can be viewed on IWTV. I get it if you want to zip over the two student showcase matches and start with Wayne-Mathers, but make sure you stay for the whole ‘main’ show.
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