By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Demand Lucha “Luchapalooza 2024”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
March 21, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario at Parkdale Hall
This show aired live at the time, but was recently (finally!) released both on IWTV and for free on their youtube channel. (I watched the IWTV to avoid the pesky youtube commercials.)
* Hutch Henries introduced the show and he also does commentary. It seems darker in here than in the past, but lighting is still okay. The crowd might be 400-500; it’s fairly packed in here.
1. Kevin Blackwood defeated Marcus Mathers, Stallion Kid, Beaa Moss, Cody Ocho and Viajero in a scramble at 14:43. I really only know Mathers and Blackwood. I saw the masked Viajero on a recent West Coast Pro show. I’ve seen Stallion Kid here before; he wears a generic black mask. Beaa is the lone female in this match; she’s tall with long blonde hair more than half-way down her back and she is fairly athletic. I saw her on the prior show here in January against Haley Dylan. This is Ocho’s debut here; he has a big tattoo over his heart and hair past his shoulders. The commentators said he is a student of Bandido. Viajero’s mask allows for his slick wet hair to flow out from underneath, like a young Juventud Guerrera. Blackwood hit Beaa at the bell and got a LOUD boo! Viajero hit a huracanrana on Mathers. Beaa snuck up behind Blackwood and hit some spin kicks on him.
She hit a running double knees to his chin at 3:00, then a huracanrana. She hit a dive to the floor; Kevin moved but she crashed on Cody Ocho. Stallion Kid dove onto both of them. Viajero hit a top-rope flip dive onto everyone on the floor at 4:30. In the ring, Viajero hit a double crossbody block on Blackwood and Stallion Kid. Viajero hit a running stunner on Blackwood at 6:30. The commentators pointed out that Cody has hurt his knee and is hobbled. Blackwood hit a German Suplex on Stallion Kid. Kevin dragged Beaa into the ring and they traded forearm strikes, and she hit a spin heel kick for a nearfall at 9:00. Mathers entered and hit a spin kick on her, then a stunner, then a German Suplex.
Mathers and Cody traded forearm strikes. We had tower spots out of opposite corners. Mathers hit a Canadian Destroyer on Cody; he didn’t quite land it but the crowd was forgiving, and everyone was down. Mathers and Blackwood held each other’s left wrist while trading forearms with the right. Mathers hit a Lionsault at 12:30. Beaa entered and hit another huracanrana, then she hit a Code Red on Mathers for a nearfall. Viajero hit a DDT on Cody for a nearfall. Stallion hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Beaa hit an Unprettier on Stallion Kid, then a frogsplash! However, Blackwood jumped in the ring, shoved Beaa to the floor, and jumped on Stallion Kid to steal the pin. The heel heat for this was amazing.
* Backstage, Blackwood said he was supposed to face Jimmy Lloyd but “this place can’t keep their shit straight,” and he didn’t know until he arrived he was in a scramble match, and he’s too good to waste his time in a scramble. We went to another video with Beaa Moss, who noted that she made her Demand Lucha debut against Haley Dylan last show. She was livid she got screwed by Blackwood. (A quick internet search shows she is 31 and has been wrestling since 2012; I knew she was way too good and polished in the ring for that to have been just her second-ever match. So, it was her second match HERE, not second ever!) In fact, she wrestled on TNA Impact last month in a tag match against Dani Luna and Jody Threat.
2. Aeroboy defeated Akira in a “Death Fighters Collide” match at 19:43. Aeroboy wore a black mask and green pants and he’s roughly the same size as Akira. A feeling-out process early on. Akira got a crucifix takedown for a nearfall at 5:00. Aeroboy hit some deep armdrags and a huracanrana. They did the spot where they both got suplexed over the top rope to the floor, and they brawled at ringside. Akira put on someone’s cowboy hat and hit some more punches. Akira picked up a boy, maybe 6 years old, and ran the kid’s feet into Aeroboy’s chin at 8:30.
Aeroboy hit a Swanton Bomb back into the ring at 10:30 for a nearfall. He hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall and he playfully kicked Akira’s head. Akira put his hands behind his back and let Aeroboy hit some forearm strikes. Akira hit a diving forearm in the corner, then a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall at 12:30. Akira hit a series of kicks and chops. Akira applied a half-crab. They got up and got chairs. Instead of hitting each other with them, they sat down across from each other and traded punches at 16:00. Akira suplexed Aeroboy onto an open chair, then he launched himself off a chair and hit a kneestrike for a nearfall.
Aeroboy hit a Michinoku Driver onto an upside down chair and that seems dangerous. He then hit a Razor’s Edge onto a folded chair for a believable nearfall at 18:00 and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Akira hit a piledriver on the ring apron. He went for a top-rope senton but Aeroboy got his knees up. Aeroboy hit a Tiger Suplex and a sliding forearm for a believable nearfall. He then nailed a top-rope frogsplash for the pin. That was really good and built nicely in its intensity.
3. FredDIE (w/Nurse NovaKane) defeated El Reverso at 5:56. I’ve compared NovaKane to Stacy Keibler’s “Miss Hancock” look. FredDIE wears a long black cape and a black singlet. Reverso is shorter and wears a blue-and-white mask and shorts. He worked the left ankle early on and his gimmick is he can ‘reverse any hold.’ FredDIE hit a guillotine leg drop for a nearfall at 2:00, and he took control of the offense. Reverso missed a moonsault; FredDIE went for his own moonsault, but Reverso got his knees up at 5:00. NovaKane dropped Reverso throat-first on the top rope, then she hit a stunner, as FredDIE was distracting the ref. FredDIE hit a Death Valley Driver, then a top-rope moonsault for the tainted pin. Okay.
4. Seraphis defeated Mance Warner in a “LuchaDoors match” at 11:36. Mance came out first and said he can’t wait to get back to the USA and was booed. He said “I hate everything about Canada.” Seraphis is slightly rotund; he’s a bit more like Sami Callihan in size; he carried a door to the ring. Mance demanded that Seraphis shake his hand, and leave and go to the USA with him. Of course, Mance attacked from behind to start the match. They brawled to the floor. In the ring, Mance spiked him with a screwdriver on the forehead at 5:30, then on his bicep. Seraphis got the screwdriver and used it on Mance. He hit a Death Valley Driver across several open chairs for a nearfall at 8:30.
Mance threw a chair at his unprotected head and I really hate that. Mance then suplexed him through a door bridge for a nearfall at 10:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Mance pushed him backward through a door in one corner; Seraphis popped to his feet and speared Mance through another door in the opposite corner for the pin. Solid brawl; even with the use of the screwdriver, it doesn’t appear either man bled. Just need to cut back on those chairshots to the head…
* Gringo Loco has a mystery partner for the next match. I have no idea who it is. Loco got on the mic and introduced his partner is Arez! I’m a big fan so this is a nice surprise.
5. Gringo Loco and Arez defeated Los Medicos (w/Zoknov) to win the Tag Team Titles at 16:02. Again, the Medicos wear generic white hospital scrubs and it really could be anyone in that gear. All four brawled at the bell, and Arez hit a DDT. A Medico hit a Michinoku Driver at 2:00 on Arez. Loco hit a huracanrana, then a handspring-back-elbow for a nearfall. The Medicos began working over Loco and this went on for several minutes. Arez finally got the hot tag at 10:00. Loco hit a top-rope Spanish Fly and they were both down at 11:30. Zoknov pulled the ref from the ring, and Nurse NovaKane interfered, too.
Los Medicos pulled a door out put it in the ring. Arez hit a flying stunner. Zoknov got in the ring and he slapped both Loco and Arez, so Arez superkicked him. Loco hit a powerbomb on Zoknov through the door. A Medico accidentally hit Nurse NovaKane. Arez hit a Northern Lights Suplex, and and Loco hit a top-rope moonsault for the pin! New champions! The crowd and commentary team went NUTS as the hated Medicos have finally lost their belts! “I am smiling ear to ear! I had literally given up hope!” a commentator said.
6. Jack Cartwheel defeated Joey Janela to retain the Lucha Premier Title at 24:06. The commentators noted these two met in GCW a week earlier for their first-ever singles meeting. Joey is bigger and hit some chops early on. They brawled to the floor at 3:00 and Joey jawed at kids in the front row. In the ring, Joey stomped on Jack’s left hand, and the announcers agreed that Jack wouldn’t be able to do any cartwheels if he can’t use his hands. Jack missed his slingshot elbow drop at 7:00.
Jack hit a Sasuke Special to the floor and that popped the crowd. In the ring, Jack hit a cartwheel powerslam for a nearfall at 9:30. On the floor, Jack did three cartwheels before hitting a back elbow on Joey. They brawled up onto the entrance stage, where Joey hit a brainbuster at 11:30. He picked up the title belt and was booed. In the ring, Jack hit his Crucifix Driver at 13:00 and they were both down, and the crowd cheered for Cartwheel. Jack hit an enzuigiri. Joey hit a Canadian Destroyer but Jack cartwheeled out of it at 15:00. They hit double clotheslines and were both down.
Jack hit a Thesz Press and punches at 17:30. Joey hit a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron and they were both down. In the ring, Janela nailed a package piledriver for a believable nearfall. Jack hit a top-rope rolling Death Valley Driver for a believable nearfall and they were both down at 20:00. Jack went for a top-rope cartwheel, but Joey got his knees up. Joey hit a brainbuster and paused to pose and celebrate. Jack hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Joey hit a Dragon Suplex, then a spear. Jack hit the top-rope cartwheel splash for the pin! Good match.
Final Thoughts: A really entertaining show that topped my expectations. I loved the opening scramble was really fun; I had seen two of those wrestlers just once each and Stallion Kid maybe three times before; I didn’t expect them all to mesh so well together. Akira-Aeroboy had a good brawl, the main event was entertaining, and the crowd loved the shock of Loco/Arez winning the title belts. Well worth checking out
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