By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Dreamwave Pro Wrestling “Those Summer Nights”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
August 3, 2024 in La Salle, Illinois at the KOC Hall
This venue is small and has been sold out for months with about 300 in attendance. This is the second consecutive night of action in this building, and Joe Dombrowski is back on commentary.
1. “The Hype” Hunter Holdcraft and Gaige Noonan defeated “The Mane Event” Midas Black and Jay Lyon to retain the Dreamwave Tag Team Titles at 11:54. Lyon opened against Holdcraft, who wore a purple singlet. TME began working over Noonan, who still has a shoulder brace on. Black flipped Lyon onto him, and Lyon got a nearfall. The announcers ignored the action to talk about how TME beat the Briscoes in Jay’s final match. Black hit a spear on Noonan at 6:00. Noonan hit a double DDT. Hunter got the hot tag and suplexed Lyon, then Black, then an Angle Slam on Lyon.
The Hype began hitting some tag team offense on Lyon. Noonan hit a 619 around the ring post at 9:00. Black hit a flying stunner on Hunter. TME hit their Grand Finale (team X-Factor faceplant) on Hunter for a believable nearfall. Black hit a frogsplash. Lyon hit a uranage. Noonan hit a Canadian Destroyer on Lyon at 11:00. Black hit a German Suplex on Hunter. Noonan hit a doublestomp on Black’s head, and Hunter immediately hit a German Suplex on Black for the pin. Really good action to kick off the show.
2. Hartenbower vs. “Warhorse” Jake Parnell ended in a draw/double DQ at 8:48. I’ll again compare the bald Hartenbower to Josh Alexander in overall looks. I love Parnell’s overhaul to the dark, sinister character, leaving behind the goofball who wore red-and-yellow and was here to ‘rule ass.’ Hartenbower is thicker and has the size advantage. Jake slapped him to open. They brawled to the floor and over the guardrail. Parnell was in charge when they got back in the ring. Hartenbower hit a gutbuster over his knee at 5:30. He hit a spinebuster and was fired up. Parnell applied a crossface at 8:00, but Hartenbower reached the ropes. They shoved the ref as they were fighting. The ref called for the bell, disqualifying both men. Good brawl.
* Parnell got a chair from under the ring and struck Hartenbower multiple times across the back.
3. Brooke Havok defeated J-Rod and Airica Demia in a three-way at 7:38. All three women competed on Friday’s Uprising show. The athletic J-Rod just towers over both of her opponents. She slammed Airica’s head into the top turnbuckle at 1:00. J-Rod put both women on her shoulders and hit a double Samoan Drop for a nearfall. That was impressive! Demia hit some kicks in the corner on J-Rod, then a DDT for a nearfall at 3:00. Brooke hit a basement dropkick on Demia’s forehead for a nearfall, then a clothesline and a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. J-Rod hit a frogsplash for a nearfall. Brooke (eventually) got J-Rod up on her shoulders and hit an Electric Chair drop. J-Rod hit a German Suplex on Demia, but she missed a spear. Havok hit a CrossRhodes swinging faceplant to pin Demia, as Dombrowski reminded us that Cody Rhodes was one of her trainers.
4. Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella) defeated Gringo Loco at 13:07. Channing and Sidney haven’t been on the same page lately in a few indies, so we’ll see if that carries over here. Fast-paced reversals early, and Channing punched him at 2:00 and took over. Sidney reached in the ring and choked Gringo Loco while the ref was distracted. Thomas applied a half-crab at 5:00. Loco hit a frogsplash for a nearfall at 7:30. Channing hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Loco nailed a top-rope reverse superplex, dropping Thomas stomach-first, for a nearfall at 9:30.
Channing set up for a piledriver, but Loco flipped him to the floor, then Loco hit a flip dive to the floor on him. In the ring, Gringo went for a top-rope moonsault, but Channing got his knees up. Channing sold pain in his knees and was down on the mat. Sidney got in the ring to help check on Channing as the match came to a halt. However, Sidney hit a low blow uppercut on Loco! Channing hopped to his feet, hit a Mafia Kick to the chest, then did some jumping jacks to show he’s fine. He hit the piledriver to score the pin, then did a cartwheel that would have made Jack Cartwheel proud. Good action. A rare loss for Gringo Loco in his home state!
5. Briar Hale and Sage Hale defeated Davey Bang and August Matthews in an intergender tag team match at 6:42. I will again say the Hale twins remind me of Ronda Rousey and I just cannot tell them apart. Bang got on the mic and said their opponents didn’t make it, so he issued an open challenge. The twins just REFUSE to do ‘twin magic,’ as one has her hair in braids and the other has her hair down. It’s actually a rather stark difference. The women attacked Bang to start the match. A Hale hit a Flatliner on Bang for a nearfall, then an Eat D’feat. Bang hit an enzuigiri. August tagged in at 2:00. Bang hit his axe kick to the back of the head, and August got a nearfall.
A Hale hit a sunset flip that sent Bang into the corner, as the sisters went back to working over Bang. Bang hit a handspring-back-double elbow at 5:00. Matthews hit a Grimes-style Cave-in to the collarbone! They hit their team doublestomp on one of the Hales, then Bang hit the Spears Tower for a nearfall. B&M hit stereo kicks. One of the Hales rolled up Bang, as her sister helped push on her feet for added leverage, for the tainted pin! Decent.
6. Marcus Mathers defeated Mustafa Ali, Stephen Wolf, and Aerial Van Go in a four-way to win the Alternative Championship at 13:28. Worth reiterating that TNA has a taping going on at this same time in Florida. (To me this says Ali is figuring his payday here in home state Illinois is on par to what he could get in TNA, right?) I’m a big fan of what all four of these guys are doing in 2024. Ali came out last and was wearing the title belt. All four are in the ring as we begin, with the challengers circling and jumping Ali. Ali and Wolf brawled on the floor. Mathers and Van Go also fought on the other side of ringside.
In the ring, Mathers hit a second-rope crossbody block on Ali at 4:30. Wolf hit a huracanrana on Mathers. Wolf hit a dropkick on Aerial’s face. Van Go hit a basement dropkick on Wolf, then a cool version of a 619 on Mathers. Van Go hit an impressive double Pele Kick at 7:00. Ali hit his rolling stunner. He hit a spinning heel kick on Wolf, then a tornado DDT. Ali hit a German Suplex on Mathers. Van Go hit a top-rope missile dropkick, going more than half-way across the ring, and getting a nearfall at 9:00.
Van Go flipped to the floor on two opponents. Wolf hit a flip dive to the floo on all three! In the ring, Wolf hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press on Mathers for a nearfall at 11:00. Ali hit a top-rope 450 Splash on Mathers for a believable nearfall, and he was shocked he didn’t get a win there. Wolf hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly on Ali. Wolf hit a pop-up stunner on Van Go. However, Mathers rolled up Wolf out of nowhere for the clean pin! Even Mathers looked shocked he won! So, Mustafa loses his belt without being pinned.
* Mustafa Ali got on the mic and stood nose-to-nose with Mathers and put him over. “This is the key to the city,” Ali said as he held up the belt. “And now, it rests on your shoulders. This isn’t me passing the torch; this is you taking it. You represent Dreamwave Wrestling, and don’t you dare let me, or these people down.” Ali sure gives great post-match promos. Wolf jumped Mathers and attacked him until Van Go and Ali returned to the ring to chase him off.
7. Jay Fowler (w/Zeke Zshe) defeated Jordan Kross at 6:02. I always compare the short Fowler to Pac, while Kross, who has to be around age 20, looks like a very young Mike Bailey, with his dark, flowing mullet. Kross got on the mic and told us his grandfather just died a day ago, and he vowed he will get his first win tonight. Fowler immediately took control and grounded Kross. Fowler hit a Guerrilla Press at 2:00, and he hit shoulder thrusts into the ribs in the corner, then an Exploder Suplex for a nearfall. Kross hit a leaping Flatliner and a top-rope missile dropkick. Fowler nailed a rolling elbow and an Angle Slam for a nearfall at 5:00. Fowler accidentally hit Zshe. Kross hit a superkick. Fowler hit a standing powerbomb and a Jackhammer for the pin. Decent action.
8. Bobby Orlando defeated Danhausen and Santana Jackson in a three-way at 7:34. This should be all comedy. Using a Michael Jackson tribute act is just gross and tone-deaf in 2024. Danhausen cursed Orlando at the bell, then he cursed Santana. And they danced. And this immediately is not my brand of humor, but I think turning Michael Jackson into a cutesy gimmick is sickening. Maybe they can get a Bill Cosby look-a-like to pass out puddin’ pops to kids in the stands, too. Danhausen splashed both in the corner at 2:00. He hit a crossbody block on both. Orlando hit some jab punches on Danhausen.
Danhausen clotheslined Santana, then suplexed Orlando. Danhausen hit a German Suplex and he grabbed his jar of teeth, and he poured them down Bobby’s mouth, then kicked them out at 6:00. Santana made the save. Bobby hit a double missile dropkick, then a Death Valley Driver on Danhausen. Santana kicked Orlando to the floor and he hit an elbow drop on Danhausen. Orlando hit a stunner on Danhausen and he covered Santana for the pin. Meh. Action was okay, and even those who like comedy probably will admit this wasn’t funny enough.
9. Connor Hopkins (w/Those Damn Coyotes) defeated Hunter Holdcraft to retain the Dreamwave Championship at 10:06. Hunter is doing double-duty today. Hopkins just won the title at the last show on June 15 by cashing in a ‘money in the bank’-style opportunity on his faction teammate Christian Rose. I admittedly don’t see Connor in the upper tier at all, so he has a lot to do to convince me he belongs. They brawled to the floor. Connor was in charge as they fought back into the ring. Hunter hit a pop-up powerbomb for a nearfall at 4:30.
Hopkins applied a sleeper and slowed him down. Hunter hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 6:30. Hopkins tied Hunter in the Tree of Woe and stomped on him. Gauge Noonan jumped in the ring and hit an X-Factor faceplant on Hopkins while the ref was distracted! Hunter hit a frogsplash for a nearfall. A heel hit Hunter in the head with a title belt! Hopkins immediately hit an Exploder Suplex for the pin. Okay action; I’m just not buying Hopkins as the “best-of-the-best” of this promotion yet.
* The lights went out. When they came back on, Christian Rose was in the ring and holding a steel chair, and the heels scampered off. Security jumped in the ring and began hitting Rose, but Rose beat them all up.
10. Megan Bayne and Rebecca J. Scott defeated Maggie Lee and Missa Kate at 12:10. This match was set up on the women’s show 24 hours earlier, when Missa attacked Bayne, allowing Maggie Lee to retain her title. The heels attacked from behind to open. Scott and Kate opened once the match got underway. Maggie grabbed Rebecca’s hair and yanked her to the mat and stomped on her, and she hit a wheelbarrow suplex. The heels worked over Rebecca in their corner, and Missa snapped RJS’ throat across the ropes for a nearfall at 3:00. Maggie hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall.
Maggie hit a mid-ring buttbump. Rebecca hit a DDT at 5:30 on Kate, and she made the hot tag to Bayne. Megan hit a hard clothesline on Maggie Lee, then a Stinger Splash onto both heels. Bayne hit a Samoan Drop-and-fallaway slam combo on the heels. Bayne tossed teammate RJS to the floor onto the heels at 7:00. In the ring, Bayne hit a double back suplex! Lee hit a Helluva Kick on Bayne! Missa hit a running knee to the back of RJS’ head.
Lee hit an Air Raid Crash on Bayne for a nearfall at 9:00. They did a tower spot out of the corner and everyone was down. Bayne hit a flying clothesline on Lee. Bayne set up for a powerbomb, but Lee turned it into an X-Factor. Missa hit an inverted DDT on RJS. Bayne tossed Missa to the floor. In a cool spot, RJS hit a missile dropkick as Megan was holding Lee in her arms, then Bayne hit a German Suplex on Lee. Bayne then hit the Tombstone Piledriver on Lee for the clean pin. A very good tag match.
11. Minoru Suzuki defeated Vic Capri at 16:23. I’ve compared the aging veteran Capri to former TNA/ROH star Davey Richards; he’s short and thick. The crowd sang along to Suzuki’s entrance song and we got a “this is awesome!” chant before they locked up. Dombowski noted that Capri has been wrestling since 2001 in the LaSalle area. Standing switches early on, and Suzuki twisted the left arm. Vic stomped on the left elbow at 2:00 and focused on the arm. They sat on the mat and traded forearm strikes, then stood up and kept trading forearms.
Suzuki applied a crossarm breaker in the ropes at 5:00. They went to the floor and traded blows in front of the fans, and Capri collapsed after a hard forearm strike. The crowd chanted “Murder Grandpa!” They kept fighting on the floor as they circled the ring and traded chops. Minoru turned and threatened the ref! They finally got back into the ring at 8:30, and Minoru hit a stiff kick to the spine for a nearfall. He twisted Vic’s fingers and wrist. Minoru again jawed at the ref. Capri hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 10:00.
Suzuki hit a Helluva Kick, then a running Penalty Kick for a nearfall. They got up and traded chops, then switched to forearm strikes, and Capri collapsed again at 13:30. Minoru playfully kicked at Vic but didn’t go for a cover. Vic stood up and they traded more forearm strikes. Vic hit an Exploder Suplex and a sliding clothesline for a nearfall. Suzuki applied a sleeper but Vic escaped. Suzuki again applied the sleeper, then he nailed the Gotch-style Piledriver for the pin. That was a blast.
* Suzuki teased putting the ref in the Gotch-style Piledriver but he let go. The ref grabbed his chest and was thankful to escape the ring unscathed!
Final Thoughts: Not a surprise that the Mustafa Ali four-way takes best match. Those are four really good talents, and Mathers continues to be a rising star, and I’m not surprised he won here. Sure, there is a formula to a Minoru Suzuki match, but everything he hits looks so good and he gets the crowd into it, and I’ll go with that for second. The women’s tag was really good so that earns third, just ahead of the Thomas-Gringo Loco match for honorable mention, but I want to add that show-opening tag was really good too.
My complaints are few. I’m still not buying Connor Hopkins in the main event mix, let alone as champion, and this match didn’t convince me otherwise. The fact he wasn’t in the main event or sub-main event doesn’t help that case, either. I’ve made my feelings on using a Michael Jackson gimmick character well known so I won’t bother saying more.
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