By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Prestige Wrestling “Alive or Just Breathing”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
May 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California at Vermont Hollywood
The ring was well lit and the crowd was hot. They are seated in the shadows so it’s hard to gauge the crowd size. This is a small theater and the fans are seated almost right next to the ring, with no guardrails. Jack Farmer and Jordan Castle provided commentary.
1. Evil Uno defeated Alan Angels via DQ at 18:32; Angels retains the Prestige Wrestling Title. Angels just won the title from Alex Shelly on the last Prestige event. A basic feeling-out process early on. Uno knocked him down with a shoulder tackle; Angels kipped up and spit on Uno at 2:00! Uno hit a Mafia Kick and the commentators agreed the spitting “woke something up” in Uno. They brawled to the floor, where Uno slammed him back-first on the apron. In the ring, Uno hit a running clothesline in the corner for a nearfall at 5:30. Angels hit an STO uranage on the ring apron, and they both fell to the floor. Back in the ring, Angels was in charge. He began untying the mask at 9:30 and was booed.
Uno fired back with some butterfly suplexes and a backbreaker over his knee. He hit a Mafia Kick and a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall at 12:00. Angels hit a DDT. Uno caught him with a boot to the face. Angels nailed a top-rope superplex and they were both down, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Angels nailed the Halo Strike/roundhouse kick for a believable nearfall at 15:00 and we got a “You can’t beat him!” chant. Uno hit the “Something Evil” swinging Flatliner for a believable nearfall, drawing a “That was three!” chant.
Uno removed his shirt and Angels begged for forgiveness, and he made the Dark Order hand gesture. Uno responded by twisting Angels’ fingers and went for Angels Wings. However, Angels twisted Uno’s mask on Uno’s head, hit the Halo Strike, then two consecutive frog splashes for a believable nearfall at 18:00. Angels turned and slapped the referee! The angry ref called for the bell! The crowd was livid at this cheap outcome! A really good match.
2. Jordan Cruz defeated Alpha Zo at 8:29. Cruz is muscular and has appeared on New Japan Strong. Zo is Black and a regular at West Coast Pro, and he’s thinned out a bit in the past year. They immediately traded forearm strikes and big boots. The commentators talked about the new partnership between West Coast Pro and Prestige Wrestling. Zo hit a backbreaker over his knee. He hit a diving forearm in the corner at 2:00. They went to the floor and brawled. In the ring, Cruz was in charge and was booed. They traded loud chops. Zo hit a Dragon Suplex at 5:00. Zo hit a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall.
Cruz hit a second-rope Deadlift Superplex for a believable nearfall. Zo hit a rolling forearm. Cruz hit a flip dive to the floor at 7:00. In the ring, Zo hit a superkick and a Doctor Bomb/gutwrench powerbomb for a nearfall. Cruz kicked the ropes, crotching Zo! Cruz hit a Kamigoye knee strike to the collarbone, then the No More Sorrow shoulder breaker over his knee for the cheap pin.
3. Timothy Thatcher defeated Alex Shelley at 15:29. Thatcher has a noticeable height advantage, and he backed Shelley into the corner, and Alex stalled in the ropes. Castle said this is a first-time-ever encounter. Standing switches and a feeling-out process as they worked each other’s left arms. Thatcher applied a Surfboard at 3:30. Shelley snapped Thatcher’s left arm and he tied Timothy in a knot on the mat. Thatcher applied an ankle lock, but Shelley reached the ropes at 6:00. Thatcher then snapped Shelley’s left arm, but went back to twisting Alex’s legs. He hit a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall at 8:30 and remained focused on Alex’s left arm.
Shelley applied a Figure Four, but Thatcher escaped and applied a crossarm breaker, and Shelley reached the ropes. Thatcher applied a Fujiwara Armbar, but Shelley quickly grabbed the ropes at 10:30. Shelley got the Border City Stretch, but Thatcher got to the ropes at 12:30. Shelley hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip and he applied a Figure Four, with Timothy again reaching the ropes at 14:00, and we got a “this is wrestling!” chant. Thatcher slammed head-first into the middle turnbuckle. Shelley went for Shellshock, but Thatcher blocked it. Thatcher applied the Fujiwara Armbar in the middle of the ring, and Shelley tapped out! Good match entirely fought on the mat — they never went to the floor or climbed the ropes.
4. Gregory Sharpe and Zara Zakher defeated Sonico and Sandra Moone at 9:40. I’ve seen Zara 2-3 times now and I describe her as a female version of Shane Taylor, from the hat to the vest to her whole demeanor. Sharpe hit a cheap shot on Moone to open the match! Zara and Sonico opened, and the commentators called Zara a “prodigy” just a year into her career and has already had an excursion in Japan. Moone hit a series of blows to Sharpe’s chest in the corner. Sharpe hit an axe kick to her back at 1:30. Zara bodyslammed partner Sharpe onto Moone! She definitely has some power! Zara and Sharpe worked over Moone.
Sonico hit a springboard headbutt on Sharpe at 4:00. Sharpe nailed a Sliced Bread, and they were both down. The women tagged back in at 6:00, and Zara hit an enzuigiri and a cartwheel-into-an-elbow in the corner. Zara dove through the ropes and barreled onto Sonico on the floor and that earned a pop and a “Prestige!” chant. In the ring, all four brawled, and Moone/Sonico hit simultaneous Blue Thunder Bombs at 8:30. Sonico came off the ropes but Zara caught him with a stunner. Sharpe then hit a powerbomb on Sonico for the pin. That was really good, and yes, Zara looks every bit as good and polished as the commentators were saying.
5. Jeff Cobb defeated Galeno Del Mal at 17:01. Galeno is the BIG luchador who always makes me think of DC villain Bane. Cobb carried his NJPW TV title belt. They spoke, shook hands, and finally locked up at 1:00 with an intense lockup. Cobb tried a shoulder tackle and Galeno didn’t budge. (Yes, Galeno is bigger than Cobb.) Galeno’s shoulder tackles also didn’t budge Cobb, and we got “meat!” chants. Galeno and Cobb suddenly did a few lucha rolls that popped the crowd, and Galeno hit a head-scissors takedown at 5:00! They brawled to the floor.
Back in the ring, Galeno hit a basement dropkick at 7:00, and he applied a half-crab. Galeno ran the ropes and hit a splash on the mat for a nearfall. Cobb nailed a pump-handle back suplex at 9:00 for a nearfall, and that popped the crowd. Galeno spit on Cobb; Jeff slapped Galeno in the face. Galeno nailed a rolling cannonball at 10:30 for a nearfall. They traded forearms strikes, then kicks. They hit simultaneous clotheslines and both eventually went down. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees, then while standing. Galeno hit a reverse suplex at 13:30, dropping Cobb stomach-first for a nearfall.
Cobb hit a dropkick as Galeno was on the ropes. Cobb then tossed Galeno to the mat and got a nearfall. Cobb hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall. Galeno hit a big boot, then a top-rope frogsplash for a believable nearfall at 16:00 and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Cobb hit a German Suplex, then a hard clothesline, then the Tour of the Islands twisting powerslam for the pin. “What a war!” Castle said. That was excellent.
* Intermission was edited out.
6. “Blackheart” Lio Rush defeated El Hijo Del Dr. Wagner Jr. at 17:35. Hijo is the brother of Galeno Del Mal and he wore a green singlet; he’s tall but not as wide. A spooky entrance with haunting music for Rush. I have described this new gimmick as mix of Boogyeman and Papa Shango, and he’s got a lot of body paint on. He is fully committed to this gimmick. Black fluid was dripped from Rush’s mouth, and he was laughing maniacally. Lio did his misdirection offense and they had a standoff at 1:00. They brawled to the floor, and Hijo chopped him against the ring post. Of course, Hijo wound up chopping the post at 2:30.
In the ring, Rush applied a front guillotine choke. Hijo hit a running knee in the corner and a back suplex for a nearfall at 4:00. Lio dove onto Hijo on the floor. Lio hit a top-rope crossbody block onto Hijo on the floor. In the ring, Lio was in charge, as Jordan kept talking about how Lio “invited the Blackheart in.” (In many ways, it is like Finn Balor and his Demon version.) Hijo hit a headbutt for a nearfall at 7:30. He tied up Lio on the mat in a surfboard move, but Lio sat up and laughed. Cool visual. They got up and Hijo dropped the straps of his singlet, and they traded chops. Lio came off the ropes but Hijo caught him. Lio snapped Hijo’s neck and hit a Shining Wizard to the back of the head, then the Final Hour frogsplash for a believable nearfall at 11:00.
Hijo got an O’Connor Roll for a nearfall; Lio escaped and applied a sleeper. Lio got a rollup for a nearfall. Hijo hit a top-rope superplex, then a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 14:30. Hijo stared at the heart-cup on a necklace that Lio had placed in the corner. He grabbed it and went to drink from it, but it was empty. Lio hit a spin kick. Hijo nailed a short-arm clothesline. Lio hit a Brainbuster, a spin kick to the head, and he hit the Rush Hour stunner out of the ropes for a nearfall at 17:00. Lio hit the Final Hour frogsplash for the pin. A good match, and even though I don’t love this gimmick for Lio, it certainly added some bizarre fascination to this match.
7. Vert Vixen defeated Jada Stone at 14:53. Jada is a short Black powerhouse with red mixed in her long braids, and I’ve seen her in shows across the country in the past year. Vert just lost her Defy Women’s Title a week ago to Marina Shafir in Seattle. Standing switches to open, and Vert has a clear height advantage. Jada did a cartwheel to avoid a move and got a pop. Vert hit a dropkick at 2:00. She hit a diving European Uppercut and got a nearfall. Jada hit a head-scissors takedown. Castle talked about how Jada has been training at the NJPW dojo. She hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall, then a Buzzsaw Kick at 4:30. Vert fired back with a German suplex.
Vert applied a Sharpshooter and leaned backward to the mat, turning it into a heel hook. Jada applied a Muta Lock at 7:00 and cranked back on the head, but Vert reached the ropes. Jada hit a Flatliner move for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Jada hit a dive to the floor but Vert caught her. In the ring, Jada went for a top-rope moonsault but Vert got her knees up. Vert nailed a Helluva Kick at 10:30. She hit a Cody-style springboard spin kick for a nearfall. Vert hit a “Red Ring of Death” modified Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Jada hit a top-rope missile dropkick, then a Swanton Bomb at 13:30. She hit a Lethal Injection (with two cartwheel rotations) for a believable nearfall. They traded rollups. Vert caught her and nailed a standing powerbomb, then a “Game Over” brainbuster for the pin. An excellent match although I never bought Jada was winning here.
8. Shelton Benjamin defeated Tom Lawlor at 19:26. Lawlor is a late-replacement for Joshua Alexander. Castle said this is Shelton’s “continental U.S. return” to the indies for the first time in seven years, implying he wrestled in Hawaii or Alaska? Shelton came out to his “Ain’t No Stopping Me Now” theme and got a huge pop, and he looks great. The crowd chanted “Gold standard!” at him. Intense lockup on the mat to open. Shelton went for an ankle lock at 2:30 but Lawlor rolled free. More fast mat reversals and Lawlor rolled to the floor at 5:30 to regroup. They traded blows at ringside; it is darker but you can see; the hard camera is much better.
Lawlor hit a low blow mule kick in the ring at 7:00 and was booed. He mounted Shelton and repeatedly punched him. Lawlor dragged Shelton to the mat and applied a Fujiwara Armbar. Shelton went for a dropkick at 10:00 but Lawlor held onto the ropes to avoid it, and Tom remained in charge. They went back to the floor where Tom hit some loud chops. Back in the ring, Tom got a nearfall but the ref saw the feet on the ropes. Tom applied a half-crab at 12:00, but Shelton got to the ropes to break it. Lawlor missed his diving spear into the corner. Shelton hit a clothesline into the corner, then a Stinger Splash at 14:00, but he missed a second one. Lawlor did an Airplane Spin into a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall.
Tom hit a knee strike to the cheek for a nearfall. Shelton hit a spinning roundhouse kick to the ear at 16:00. They traded forearm strikes. Shelton hit a German Suplex, then a release German Suplex. Lawlor applied a rear-naked choke. Shelton hit a standing powerbomb at 19:00. He hit a hard knee strke in the corner, then the Paydirt leaping Flatliner for the clean pin. A really good return for Shelton, who looked great. Is he really 48? “He didn’t find the fountain of youth, he is the fountain of youth” Castle said.
Final Thoughts: This show was soooo good, I hate to just name the top three matches, but I love Galeno Del Mal. His size makes him such a unique luchador, and his match with Cobb was stellar. I’ll narrowly go with the main event over Hijo Del Wagner Jr.-Rush for third. I thought Josh Alexander possibly could have beaten Shelton, but didn’t think Lawlor would, so that slightly tarnished the main event. The mat-based Thatcher-Shelley was really good, and I don’t want to shortchange the women’s action. Commentary from Farmer and Castle is always really good. If I had to find a negative, I’d like a larger room with more space on the floor, and better lighting outside the ring. But the in-ring work was great. No new faces for me, but the ones you are probably unfamiliar with (Jada, Zara, Galeno, Cruz, Alpha Zo) are all really good workers and worth checking out. This show gets high grades from me.
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