By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Glory Pro Wrestling “Ascend” (Episode 36)
Premiered May 13, 2024 via YouTube.com
Taped April 21, 2024 in St. Louis, Missouri at South Broadway Athletic Club
Reed Duthie provided solo commentary.
1. Freya the Slaya defeated Blair Onyx at 7:58. This is Freya’s Glory Pro debut; I have only seen her a handful of times, mostly in Ohio Valley Wrestling. Blair is somewhat like Jessicka Havok but a bit thinner. Freya is from Alaska and is billed as “the Queen of the North.” Blair hit a huracanrana and a basement clothesline for a nearfall at 1:30. Freya hit a Stinger Splash and a loud overhand chop, then a rolling cannonball at 4:00. She hit an “Off with your Head” axe kick to the back of the neck for a believable nearfall. Freya missed a rolling cannonball. Blair hit an enzuigiri and a running crossbody block for a nearfall at 6:30. Freya hit a backbreaker for a nearfall. Freya hit a chokeslam for the pin in her debut. Okay match.
* A video shot outside with “Warhorse” Jake Parnell warning Kevin Lee Davidson that he doesn’t know what he’s getting into. I’ve written this repeatedly, but I just love the complete overhaul Parnell has done to go from a rocker goofball to sinister and threatening.
2. Moses the Deliverer defeated Storm Grayson at 8:52. Storm is a regular in the Chicago area and is the Freelance Heavyweight champion; I don’t recall seeing him here, either, but Duthie said it is his return, not his debut. Moses wore a white singlet; he’s a Black man of average size. Storm jawed at the fans; they finally locked up for the first time at 1:00. Moses hit a dropkick and Storm went right back to the floor to stall. Back in the ring, Moses hit a crossbody block and some chops. Storm took control and stomped on Moses. Moses hit an enzuigiri, then a diving back elbow for a nearfall at 6:00. Grayson hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. He hit a second-rope superplex, but Moses rolled through and hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 8:00. Moses hit a top-rope bulldog for the pin. Good action.
3. “Warhorse” Jake Parnell defeated Kevin Lee Davidson to retain the Crown of Glory Title at 16:33. KLD is white, big and rotund; makes me think of when the boxer Butterbean showed up in WWF. He hip-tossed Parnell across the ring, then slammed him to the mat, and Parnell rolled to the floor to regroup. Duthie said Parnell is 206 pounds, while KLD is 413 pounds (that feels a bit exaggerated!) Parnell put his arms around KLD’s waist but he couldn’t budge him. KLD did a leapfrog, then a spinning heel kick, which popped the crowd. They brawled on the floor at 3:30; Parnell’s chops just made KLD angry. KLD accidentally clotheslined the ring post, and Parnell immediately targeted the injured left arm, snapping it across the guardrail.
They went to get back into the ring, but Parnell snapped KLD’s arm on the top rope at 7:00. Warhorse hit a dropkick, then a second-rope dropkick, then a running knee to the head in the corner for a nearfall at 9:00. KLD fired back with a running splash in the corner and a discus clothesline. They traded mid-ring forearm strikes. Parnell hit some punches to the gut, then got a rollup for a nearfall. KLD hit a side slam and they were both down at 12:00. KLD charged into the corner but struck the post and fell to the floor. Parnell immediately hit a flip dive through the ropes onto Davidson.
In the ring, KLD hit a pop-up powerbomb, then a rolling cannonball, then a pump-handle powerbomb for a believable nearfall, and the crowd chanted for “Warhorse!” Parnell ran the ropes and hit a hard clothesline, then a top-rope flying elbow drop, but KLD popped up at the one-count at 15:30. They got up and traded more forearm strikes and chops. Parnell hit a short-arm clothesline, applied a crossface on the mat, and KLD tapped out! A very good match, although the winner was never in doubt. Duthie pointed out that Parnell trapped the injured left arm on that crossface hold. They hugged afterward.
Final Thoughts: An intriguing show as we had three Glory Pro regulars versus three outsiders. The big takeaway is the crowd has fully embraced Parnell as a babyface again. No, he’s not the red-and-yellow wearing rocker who is “here to rule ass.” He’s more focused, more driven, and yes, more cutthroat. But the crowd embraced it. Storm Grayson is always really good and I’d have no problem if he returns here soon. I’ve noted the lighting is vastly improved and these shows are easy to watch.
My biggest advice to Glory Pro is to work in some vignettes, interviews, highlight packages of the rest of the roster. Identify your top 12 wrestlers and make sure they appear on each episode, either in a match or in some type of segment. Remind us what Camaro Jackson, Kody Lane, Jake Something, Shazza McKenzie, Tootie Lynn, Dak Draper and PME are up to, for example, being as they didn’t have matches this week.
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