By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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West Coast Pro “San Diego Showdown”
Streamed on YouTube.com
September 22, 2024 in San Diego, California at Primal Compound
This show streamed live and free on YouTube. It is WCPW’s second straight week of having a free, live show (I also reviewed that Friday The 13th event). This is a very small wrestling training school with maybe 150 in attendance. We have the sharp-looking black-and-blue WCPW canvas on the mat. James Kincaid and another man provided commentary. The volume for the commentators kept spiking and dropping, which was really annoying.
1. A Battle Royal. No on-screen names so I’m sure I spelled a few wrong, but everyone got an introduction. In order we have: Tarvos, Antonio Rivers, Zane Jay, El Mistica, Seabass Finch, Five Star, Ba Silva, J Mainey, Mathias, Robin Shaw, Jeremiah Fresh, Jin Savany, DKC, Yassim Kahn, JF3000, Chris Nastyy, Xandar Billets, Miko Alana , Asterisk. Unless I missed someone, we have 19 wrestlers in the ring. So yes, we have a few women in there (J Mainey, Miko Alana, Jin Savany). DKC is a regular in New Japan’s training school, and Zane Jay is the top student there. This is a mess early on but the ring emptied out quickly. Our final three are DKC, Chris Nastyy and Zane Jay. DKC and Nastyy stomped on Jay. DKC tossed Nastyy, and Zane Jay immediately tossed DKC to win. Not a surprise that one of the few men I actually knew in the match — he wrestled at the Chicago NJPW show I attended in April — was the winner.
Zane Jay won a 19-person battle royal at 9:40.
2. Alpha Zo vs. “Playmaker” J2 Mattioli. I’ve noted many times Zo’s weight loss and just overall improvement in the past 18 or so months. I don’t know J2; he’s white and a bit heavier than Zo, and the commentators said he’s a regular in the San Diego scene. A quick Google search and I got the spelling. Zo dominated early on and he hit a stiff kick to the spine at 4:30. J2 hit a jumping knee to the jaw. Zo hit a heel hook kick to the jaw and a pump-handle powerbomb for a nearfall at 6:00. Mattioli caught Zo, rolled him up, and scored the pin out of nowhere. J2 admittedly didn’t do much to impress me here.
J2 Mattioli defeated Alpha Zo at 6:23.
3. Jiah Jewell vs. Vinnie Massaro. I’ve described the scrawny “Crazy Cajun” Jiah as a combination of Lash LeRoux and Skinner. I’ve compared the rotund Massaro to Hugh Morrus, and he’s a trainer here; he has a significant weight advantage. A feeling-out process early on. Jiah hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 2:30. Massaro hit some European Uppercuts and loud chops, then a suplex at 6:00. Jiah hit a flying back elbow and they were both down. Jiah hit a second-rope clothesline and he was fired up. Jiah leapt off the apron onto Massaro on the floor. Back in the ring, Jiah hit a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall at 8:30, then a DDT for a nearfall. Jiah did a ‘Gator Roll’ on the mat. Massaro nailed a half-nelson suplex for a believable nearfall. Massaro then clocked the Snoring Elbow (discus elbow strike) for the pin. Solid teacher-vs.-student showcase.
Vinnie Massaro defeated Jiah Jewell at 10:03.
4. Zara Zakher vs. Vert Vixen. Zara’s hair is in red braids tonight and she looks a lot different than the last time I saw her. I would rank Vert as the No. 2 indy female wrestler in the US today, behind only Megan Bayne. They locked up and Vert has a significant height advantage; I didn’t realize how short Zara is now. (The prior matches I’ve seen from her have often been against the equally short Jada Stone.) Vert tied up the left arm immediately. Zara applied an anklelock; Vert reached the ropes at 2:30. Zara hit a flying back elbow. She hit a handspring-back-elbow into the corner, then a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 4:00.
Vert nailed a Helluva Kick for a nearfall. They started trading open-hand slaps to the face. Vert tied her in the Tree of Woe and hit a basement dropkick to her face at 6:00. She tied Zara in a Sharpshooter, but Zara reached the ropes. Zara hit a Lungblower move to the chin, then a spinebuster for a nearfall at 7:30, but she was selling lower back pain. Vert hit a spin kick to the head. Zara hit one, then a German Suplex, so Vert hit one. Vert hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a believable nearfall at 9:00. Zara hit a jumping knee and a kip-up stunner, then a Michinoku Driver for the pin. Good action. The hometown wrestlers have gone over so far, which is fine.
Zara Zakher defeated Vert Vixen at 9:59.
* NOTE: At the “Friday the 13th” event just eight days ago, Beef and Calvin Tankman lost a tag main event. Tankman immediately turned on Beef and beat him up.
5. Jordan Cruz vs. Beef. The muscular Cruz has competed in NJPW Strong and in GCW. They charged at each other at the bell and locked up, and Beef shoved him to the mat. Beef did a cartwheel to avoid Cruz’s offense and he hit a dropkick, then a butterfly suplex at 2:00. Cruz dropped him stomach-first on the top rope, then he slammed Beef into the corner. They brawled to the floor but quickly got back in, with Cruz in control. Cruz hit an Irish Whip at 4:30. Beef finally hit a clothesline and they were both down. Beef hit some jabs and a hard clothesline into the corner, then a bulldog, and he was fired up.
Beef hit a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall at 7:00. Cruz went for a Boston Crab but Beef fought it off. Cruz nailed a German Suplex and a stiff knee to the collarbone for a nearfall. He got a Jericho-style Liontamer but turned it into a Boston Crab, and Beef reached the ropes. Cruz hit a mid-ring huracanrana for a nearfall! Beef hit a powerbomb that dropped Cruz high on his neck for a nearfall; Cruz seems to be okay but he was selling the move by shaking his arms. Calvin Tankman came to ringside; Beef kicked him away. Beef then hit a running body block and pinned Cruz. Good big-man match.
Beef defeated Jordan Cruz at 9:51.
* Tankman immediately got into the ring and beat up Beef, hitting his spinning back fist, then left. We then went to a 20-minute intermission.
6. Calvin Tankman vs. Man Like Dereiss. Dereiss rapped on his way to the ring. He’s talented but he’s giving up a LOT of weight here. They locked up and Calvin easily shoved him to the mat, and Dereiss rolled to the floor to regroup. Back in the ring, Calvin again easily tossed Dereiss across the ring. Dereiss tried a clothesline at 2:00 that had no effect, and he couldn’t pick up Calvin. Calvin dropped him with a shoulder tackle and some loud chops and he was in control. Dereiss hit an enzuigiri at 5:30 and that staggered Tankman. Dereiss hit a basement dropkick on the knee, and he hit some spin kicks on the left knee.
Dereiss hit a superkick and they were both down at 7:00. Dereiss fired up and hit a series of forearm strikes. Tankman dropped him with one stiff forearm strike. Dereiss got back up and they traded more strikes. Dereiss again tried a bodyslam but couldn’t get him up. Seconds later, Dereiss got the bodyslam for a nearfall at 9:30, then a running knee for a nearfall. Dereiss switched to an STF and cranked back on Calvin’s head. Dereiss hit a kip-up stunner for a nearfall. Dereiss came off the ropes, but Tankman caught him with a spinning back fist out of nowhere for the pin! Beef jumped onto the apron and hit a frogsplash on Tankman.
Calvin Tankman defeated Man Like Dereiss at 10:52.
7. Adrian Quest and “Los Suavicitos” Danny Rose and Ricky Gee vs. Rey Horus, Anubis, and Destiny. Horus is in green-and-black tonight; I haven’t seen this gear. Los Suavicitos carried their WCPW tag team titles. My first time seeing Anubis; he wore gold-and-black with a mask. (Google says Anubis means “Jackal-headed god” in Egyptian mythology.) Destiny also is in gold-and-black with a mask; he kept his shirt on but his gear is very similar to Anubis, but Destiny is a bit taller and thicker. Horus removed his shirt and he has a big brace on his right shoulder. Gee and Destiny opened with basic lucha reversals.
Anubis entered at 1:00, so the shorter Rose tagged in, too. Anubis hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 2:30. Quest and Horus, the most polished guy on each team, entered and jawed nose to nose before locking up. Gee accidentally kicked Rose. Los Suavicitos began working over Destiny. Quest hit a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 5:30, but Horus made the save. Horus nailed a flip dive to the floor. Destiny and Anibus hit stereo dives at 7:00, too.
In the ring, Rey Horus tied up Quest’s leg on the mat. Anubis hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall at 9:30. Destiny hit a second-rope swinging suplex at 11:00. Anubis and Destiny hit stereo huracanranas, then stereo flip dives to the floor. Meanwhile, Quest and Horus fought on the ropes in the corner. Horus flipped him to the mat for a nearfall. Rose went for a springboard move but he was caught with a stunner. Gee hit a Poison Rana. Quest hit a top-rope 450 Splash and pinned Anubis. Really good action.
Adrian Quest, Danny Rose, and Ricky Gee defeated Rey Horus, Anubis, and Destiny at 13:20.
8. Bret the Threat vs. Alonzo Alvarez. I have compared Bret, the lanky shoot fighter, to Timothy Thatcher. I don’t think I’ve seen Alvarez, who has a buzzcut and wore a pink singlet. An extended feeling-out process and Bret worked the left arm. (This looks like a Thatcher, or Zack Sabre, match, in style.) Alvarez hit a Northern Lights Suplex at 5:30 but sold the pain in his left arm. Bret hit a superkick. The styles of these two are really working well together. Bret hit a Divorce Court Armbreaker and he tied up Alonzo on the mat until he submitted. Decent action.
Bret the Threat defeated Alonzo Alvarez at 6:58.
9. “Krusty Krew” Lucas Riley and Dom Kubrick vs. Starboy Charlie and Titus Alexander. Charlie and Riley (younger, clean-shaven) opened. Kubrick (short, dark beard) hit a backbreaker over his knee on Charlie. Titus and Kubrick locked up at 1:30 and they traded forearm strikes, and Titus nailed a dropkick to his face for a nearfall. Charlie hit a Shooting Star Press on Kubrick for a nearfall. Riley slammed Charlie onto Titus and got a nearfall on Titus at 6:00.
The KK began working over Titus. Charlie hit a Pele Kick. Charlie and Titus hit stereo dives to the floor on opposite sides of the ring. Back in the ring, they worked over Riley. Kubrick jumped in and speared Titus. Riley hit a springboard stunner on Charlie for a nearfall at 8:30. Titus hit a German Suplex on Riley. Charlie hit his Poison Rana on Kubrick. Charlie got a jackknife cover with a high bridge to pin Riley. That was really entertaining. They all shook hands and hugged afterwards. A really good showing for the KK.
Starboy Charlie and Titus Alexander defeated Dom Kubrick and Lucas Riley at 9:37.
10. Kevin Blackwood vs. Royce Isaacs for the WCPW Heavyweight Title. Blackwood’s hair is a mix of blond and brown today. Isaacs has a clear muscle mass advantage. Mat reversals early on. Blackwood tried a shoulder tackle at 1:30 but Isaacs didn’t budge. Isaacs hit a second-rope flying forearm. Isaacs held Blackwood in his arms and did multiple deep squats before getting a nearfall. Kevin hit a doublestomp to the chest at 4:00. Kevin hit a spin kick to the chest and was now in charge, hitting a series of chops and forearm strikes. Royce hit a back suplex at 5:30, sending Kevin to the floor. They brawled at ringside and they traded chops.
In the ring, Kevin leapt off the top rope, but Royce caught him and hit a powerbomb at 8:00 and they were both down. Royce hit a hard clothesline and he was fired up. Royce hit a fallaway slam with a high bridge for a nearfall. Nice. Royce hit a swinging slam for a nearfall. Blackwood hit a second-rope dropkick and a running knee for a nearfall at 11:30. Blackwood hit a Mafia kick; Royce hit a discus forearm, and they traded open-hand slaps. Royce hit a left-arm clothesline and a wheelbarrow German Suplex at 13:00 and he was fired up. However, as Royce picked up Kevin, Kevin’s legs hit the ref! It allowed Kevin to hit a low blow, a Helluva Kick, and a top-rope double stomp on Royce’s collarbone for the pin. Good match.
Kevin Blackwood defeated Royce Isaacs to retain the WCPW Heavyweight Title at 13:49.
Final Thoughts: An entertaining show with the main event earning best match. I’ll narrowly go with Dereiss-Tankman ahead of Krusty Krew vs. Charlie/Titus for third. A really good Beef-Cruz match earns honorable mention. I liked this venue; yes, it’s a small training center but the lighting was good and I love the professional-looking canvas. Nearly every top talent of the West Coast was on this show. The battle royal was a bit like herding cats, and Mattioli didn’t impress me, but the show really picked up after those first two bouts. This show is available now on Youtube and it’s a good event.
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