By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Absolute Intense Wrestling “Gauntlet For The Gold 17”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
May 24, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio at the Masonic Temple
This is the 17th annual Gauntlet For The Gold, which is essentially a WWE Royal Rumble. This venue has theater-style tiered seating and they drew a great crowd of perhaps 500 or more. The lights are low and wrestlers vanish into the shadows when they go to the floor or the far corners. Nathan Zegura and Justin Alberty provided commentary.
* A video package aired of past GFTG matches, including Sterling James Keenan (Corey Graves!) and Johnny Gargano.
1. “Money Shot” Elijah Dean and Zack Nystrom (w/The Duke) defeated “To Infinity and Beyond” Cheech and Colin Delaney to retain the AIW Tag Team Titles at 9:08. Delaney and the bald Dean (think Dax Harwood) opened. Nystrom and Delaney traded chops. Cheech got a rollup with his feet on the ropes for a nearfall at 3:30. Cheech hit a Flatliner-and-DDT combo. Delaney hit a Slumdog Millionaire stunner at 6:00. Nystrom hit a swinging uranage for a nearfall on Delaney. Nystrom was thrown into Dean. Eric Taylor hit the ring and distracted the ref. Money Shot hit a team Spike Piledriver to pin Delaney. Okay match.
* Backstage, Sam Holloway pulled a ball out of a tumbler. Gabby Forza came up and stole it.
2. Alec Price defeated Mikey Montgomery, Dex Royal, and Marino Tenaglia (w/Bill Alfonso) in a four-way at 11:50. Loads of talent in this one. Montgomery reminds me of a young Brian “Spanky” Kendrick and he wore a rocker denim jacket. I’ve noted this before — Dex is a babyface in the Midwest but a heel on the East Coast and Deep South. I usually only see Marino with his tag partner Philly Collins. Price hit a second-rope crossbody block on Marino. Montgomery hit a dropkick on Price. Fonzie hit a few guys with a chair! Marino hit a splash on Alec for a nearfall at 3:00.
Marino hit a missile dropkick on Dex. Price hit a half-nelson suplex on Marino. Dex hit a doublestomp on Price. Mikey and Dex traded fast-paced offense, and Mikey hit a Sliced Bread for a believable nearfall at 5:00. Dex hit a tower spot out of the corner and everyone was down. Marino leapt off the ropes but Mikey caught him with a superkick. Dex nailed a second-rope Spanish Fly on Montgomery at 8:00. Price hit a pop-up dropkick. Marino hit a Flatliner move, then a flip dive to the floor.
Mikey tried a top-rope moonsault to the floor; he got no elevation or distance, and came down almost where he started. They brawled over the guardrail and into the crowd. Alec dove to the floor onto all three at 10:00. Dex hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press into the crowd (his feet hit the guardrail; this could have gone quite badly!) In the ring, Mikey flipped Dex, and Price caught Dex with a stunner. Mikey hit a Canadian Destroyer. Price hit his Blockbuster on Mikey, then the Surprise kick to pin Mikey. Very good action, even with the two dives that could have gone terribly wrong.
3. Joshua Bishop defeated Sam Holloway in an “intense rules” match at 18:43. I have compared the tall, athletic Holloway to Julius Creed and he’s the rising star of this promotion; he’s listed online at 6’9″ and 264 pounds and both those numbers feel legit. They stood nose-to-nose and Sam appears a bit taller. They traded shoulder tackles. Sam hit a dropkick at 3:30, then a dive over the top rope onto Joshua. They brawled at ringside. Joshua whipped a chair at Holloway’s head and I really hate that. They brawled into the crowd and Sam hit a leaping clothesline, going over the guardrail, at 7:00. Sam set up a table on the floor.
They got back into the ring, where Josh hit a Black Hole Slam at 10:00. Sam chokeslammed Bishop through a board in the corner for a nearfall at 11:30. Bishop hit a Death Valley Driver off the ring apron and through the table that was set up on the floor a few minutes ago! In the ring, Bishop hit a coast-to-coast dropkick, shoving a piece of board onto Holloway, but Sam kicked out at one at 14:30, and that popped the crowd. Sam hit a discus clothesline! Sam hit a pumphandle powerbomb for a nearfall at 16:00. Holloway threw door shards on Josh. Josh hit Sam with the wood pieces. Josh hit a Canadian Destroyer, sending Sam onto a door in the corner. He then hit a Razor’s Edge through a table for the pin. Hard-hitting big-man match.
* Backstage, more wrestlers stopped at the tumbler and pulled out their number for GFTGold.
4. Wes Barkley defeated Derek Dillinger (w/Katie Arquette) at 8:13. An intense lockup to open and Wes hit some punches in the corner. Katie tripped Wes, allowing Dillinger to hit a senton. Wes hit some clotheslines at 4:30, then a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Dillinger set up for a Vader Bomb but he was cut off. Derek hit a sunset flip bomb into a board in the corner for a nearfall at 7:30. Wes hit a Jarrett-style stroke and a frogsplash for the pin. Okay.
* Backstage, more wrestlers stopped at the tumbler and pulled out their number for GFTGold.
5. Shaw Mason, Tyler Jordan, and Tom Lawlor defeated Dominc Garrini, Xay Garcia, and Sidney Von Engeland at 13:56. I saw trainees Xay and Sidney team recently with Garrini. (Dominic’s regular partner, Kevin Ku,, was competing in C*4 in Canada on this evening. These two shows were held about four hours apart and basically split talent.) I have compared Tyler Jordan to WWE’s Jason Jordan and he’s a great young talent, too. Lawlor’s entire team wore amateur wrestling-style singlets. Shaw is shorter with a goatee and he opened against Garcia. Lawlor entered and hit some jab punches on former teammate Garrini at 2:00. Bald Sidney entered and fought Lawlor. Shaw dove off the stage and onto the heels on the floor. Jordan dove from the ring onto the heels at 5:00.
In the ring, the heels began working over Jordan. Garrini hit some chops. Joran finally hit a belly-to-belly suplex and tagged in Shaw at 9:00, who cleared the ring and was fired up. Shaw hit a top-rope crossbody block on two heels. Lawlor hit a German Suplex. Garrini hit a short-arm clothesline on Shaw, then a shoulder breaker over his knee. Garrini and Lawlor traded chops and forearms. Lawlor hit a DDT out of the corner. Jordan hit a Dragon Suplex on Sidney at 12:30. Xay speared Jordan, then hit an assisted powerbomb. Shaw applied an ankelock on Garrini, who tapped out, but Dominic wasn’t the legal man! Shaw then put Xay in an anklelock, who also tapped out. Solid match.
* Tom Lawlor drew his number from the tumbler backstage. Joshua Bishop stopped by and got his number, too. Philly Collins and Marino Tenaglia got their numbers.
6. Eric Taylor (w/Duke) defeated Philly Collins (w/Bill Alfonso) to retain the Intense Title at 10:40. I have compared Taylor to VSK. They locked up and Philly easily shoved the smaller Taylor to the mat. Collins hit a series of punches in the corner. Duke shoved Fonzie! Taylor hit a stunner in the ropes at 3:00 and took control in the ring. Collins hit a top-rope flying ax handle at 7:00. Collins hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Taylor dove through the ropes onto Collins. In the ring, Collins hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:00. Fonzie threw a chair at Duke! Taylor caught a distracted Collins with a running boot to his ear! Taylor then hit a stomp to the head for the pin. Good match.
7. Chuck Stone defeated Isaiah Broner to win the Absolute Intense Title at 12:19. The rotund Stone has the sides of his head shaved, and he’s looking a bit like the One Man Gang today. I’ve always said Broner is comparable to Ahmed Johnson or Ezekial Jackson; these are two big men. They immediately brawled at the bell, and they went to the floor and fought at ringside, where Broner hit some LOUD chops as Stone was against the guardrail. Back in the ring, Stone was in charge and he kept Broner grounded. Broner hit Sheamus-style blows to the chest at 7:30.
Stone applied a Koji Clutch but Broner escaped, and Broner hit a spear for a believable nearfall at 10:00. Stone hit an F5 Slam for a nearfall. Broner hit a headbutt and a clothesline at 11:30 and they were both down. The Duke ran down to ringside and was booed. Stone grabbed a boot that Duke had placed at ringside and he pulled out brass knuckles, and he slugged Isaiah with them, He hit a powerbomb backbreaker over his knee for the pin! New champion! The crowd loudly booed the title change. “This place is in shock!” a commentator said.
* A video package showed the long history of the friendship and rivalry between “M-Dogg 20” Matt Cross and Josh Prohibition. This is being billed as their final-ever match!
8. Matt Cross defeated Josh Prohibition at 26:07. Cross dove to the floor on Josh, and they brawled on the floor. Josh took control back in the ring. Matt hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 6:30. Josh kept Cross grounded. They traded forearm strikes at 10:00. Cross hit a springboard back elbow and a top-rope doublestomp for a nearfall at 14:00. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees. Cross rebounded off the ropes and hit a stunner, then another one, for a nearfall at 16:00. The wrestlers from the locker room came out and began pounding on the mat, and this in turn got the crowd really fired up. Josh hit a backbreaker over his knee and a Drunken Driver/Jay Driller for a believable nearfall and we got a “this is awesome!” chant.
Cross hit a huracanrana. Josh pushed Tyler Jordan on the floor, so Jordan superkicked Josh! Josh was placed on a table at ringside. Cross leapt off the top turnbuckle and splashed onto Josh on the table at 19:30, earning a “holy shit!” chant. In the ring, Cross hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a believable neafall, and that popped the crowd. Cross waved for wrestlers to slide chairs into the ring. They stood on four open chairs, and Josh hit another Drunken Driver for a believable nearfall at 24:00.
Josh was angry at the ref so he kicked him and hit a piledriver on the ref! Cross hit his own Jay Driller for a believable nearfall and we got a “fight forever!” chant. “Neither man wants to be the one to lose the last battle,” a commentator said. Cross struck Josh in the head with an unprotected chairshot. Cross went for another Shooting Star Press, but Josh got his knees up to block it, and Josh rolled him up for a nearfall. Cross then hit a Lethal Injection-style Stunner for the pin. The first 10 minutes were a bit methodical but they built that nicely and the crowd was on fire the last five or so minutes.
* A woman (presumably Josh’s wife) and several children hopped in the ring and hugged him as the crowd chanted “Prohibition!” Matt Cross stayed in the ring with them, too. What a classy segment. The fans switched to “Thank you, Josh!” He said he never lived on TV or signed a pro wrestling contract. Fans chanted “you’re a legend.” He said that being able to do this for 25 years was “a miracle and a dream come true.” He said he’s trained guys who are now on TV and he’s been able to travel the world. He talked about facing everyone from Alex Shelley to Johnny Gargano to Ray Rowe to Jerry Lynn, and he put over his new trainee, Tyler Jordan, as well as the PME tag team. He saved his thanks for Matt Cross for last, saying he has been a great travel partner. “I’m so glad we are never going to hurt each other again,” he said. I loved everything about this post-match segment.
9. Gauntlet For The Gold. The video package aired again, showing the history of the 30-person elimination match with some key highlights and lowlights, including someone who lasted just 1.5 seconds. Eric Taylor drew No. 1; the AIW Intense champion is in his first GFTG. Wes Barkley is No. 2; the commentators pointed out both have already had a match. Burt Dangle is No. 3; He’s clearly mimicking Kurt Angle, and he’s a scrawny kid, and Taylor tossed him at 3:00. That was pointless. Derek Dillinger is No. 4. Marion Fontaine is No. 5; he is the only person to have appeared in all 17 GFTG matches! Austin James is No, 6 at 7:00; just the one elimination so far. Calvin G. Lewis from the “Members Only” tag team is No. 7. Nathan Zegura stood up from commentary and entered the ring at No. 8! That popped the crowd. He is MUCH taller than Lewis, and he shoulder tackled Lewis.
Zegura tossed Lewis at 12:30! No. 9 is Malcolm Cambridge (Lewis’ tag partner!), but he was out seconds too late to save his teammate. Calvin, still on the floor, helped eliminate Zegura. Cambridge was tossed, too. Marino Tenaglia is No. 10. Zack Nystrom is No. 11, and he worked with Taylor; I’m counting 7 in the ring. The rotund brawler Kaplan is No. 12, and he tossed Austin James. Big Twan is No. 13 at 20:00; at first glance I thought he was Calvin Tankman and the commentators said he hasn’t been here in a couple of years. Twan and Kaplan traded forearms with the fans chanting, “Beef!” Philly Collins is No. 14 to join his teammate, and they tossed Nystrom. Dillinger tossed Big Twan.
Gabby Forza is the first woman in the match at No. 15 at 23:30 and she speared Taylor! She put Dillinger on her shoulders and hit a Death Valley Driver, and that drew a huge pop! Elijah Dean is No. 16 and he immediately helped eliminate Tenaglia! Fontaine was tossed by Taylor. Joseline Navarro is No. 17 at 27:00 and she immediately traded forearm strikes with Gabby as all the men were down on the mat. Kaplan chopped Navarro. Philly Collins tossed Dean. Tyler Jordan is No. 18 and he hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Taylor. (Zegura finally returned to commentary here.) Alec Price is No. 19 at 30:30. Barkley tossed Eric Taylor!!! That’s a huge elimination! Mikey Montgomery is No. 20 and he hit a bunch of superkicks.
Joshua Bishop is No. 21 and he’s the 2023 winner, and he immediately tossed Dillinger, who was last year’s runner-up! Bishop tossed Kaplan, too! I again am seeing 7 in the ring. Joseline was tossed. Tom Lawlor is No. 22 at 36:00 and he glared at Bishop. Bishop used Lawlor’s head as a battering ram! Shaw Mason is No. 23 and he worked with teammate Tyler Jordan. Parker Pierce is No. 24 at 39:30; I don’t know him but he’s tall, and he immediately brawled with Shaw. It has been two-and-a-half years since he was last in AIW, the commentators said. Magnum CK is No. 25. The Duke is No. 26 at 43:00 and he was loudly booed; this is his 10th GFTG match, which is the second-most ever, and he tossed Philly Collins! Duke then tossed Forza and was loudly booed.
Bishop tossed Parker Pierce. I think we have nine in the ring. Ethan Page is No. 27 and he got a massive pop! He eliminated Barkley; this might be his last indy show as he debuted in NXT just days later. Dominic Garrini is No. 28 at 47:00. Duke tossed Montgomery. Garrini tossed Tyler Jordan. Sam Halloway is No. 29; he should win. He traded blows with Bishop. Cool Ass Andy is No. 30 at 50:30, but he was yanked back through the curtain! He is being replaced by Isaiah Broner! Broner hit a clothesline and entered the ring! Price and Magnum were tossed as Broner walked to the ring; the commentators confirm we have eight left. Garrini tossed Mason. Broner eliminated both Garrini and Lawlor! We’re down to five! Bishop tossed Halloway!
So, our final four are: Duke, Broner, Bishop and Ethan Page. Page superkicked Bishop and tossed him over the ropes, but Joshua held on. Those two fought on the ring apron… and we lost the signal from the building. Really? It returned after ten or so seconds, with Page and Bishop fighting on the floor as they were both eliminated. Broner tossed Duke to win the match, but the refs were too busy separating Page and Bishop and they didn’t see it. Duke quickly climbed back in and tossed Broner to win the match.
The Duke won the Gauntlet For the Gold in 55:14.
Almost immediately, the signal from the building was lost again for maybe another 10 seconds. Duke got on the mic and said he was told it “would be a cold day in hell” before he got a title shot, and he told the fans to “buy a sweater” because he’s a win from the belt. Chuck Stone came to the ring and confronted Duke, but they hugged. However, Duke told Stone to hand him the belt right now! Stone gave him the belt and Duke began to celebrate with it! However, someone (a general manager?) came out of the back and said on June 22, Duke will face Broner in a steel cage match, with the No. 1 contendership on the line, being as “everyone saw” Broner actually won the match.
Final Thoughts: Just being blunt here, but The Duke is essentially a manager these days. He’s rotund and probably in his 40s. This promotion should be building to the future with a win by Sam Halloway or Tyler Jordan, or even Eric Taylor. I get the heelish way he won with the refs missing him being tossed, but he’s just not the heel I would have picked to win it. But, I presume Broner will win his No. 1 contender slot in a few weeks in that cage match. I’ll go with the Price four-way for best match, and the Prohibition-Cross match was really good in the second half and takes second. I’ll go with Halloway-Bishop for third. An okay Royal Rumble; neither bad nor good. An unfortunate timing of losing the signal as we nearly missed the finishing segment to a match that nearly went an hour.
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