By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Dreamwave Pro Wrestling “Trick or Treat”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
October 12, 2024 in La Salle, Illinois at the KOC Hall
This venue is their regular home (about one hour west of Chicago) and it’s a sellout with maybe 350 fans in attendance. Joe Dombrowski and Kyle Fields provided commentary. They always leave the lights on, so lighting isn’t an issue here.
1. “The Hype” 12 Gauge and Hunter Holdcraft vs. Sage Hale and Briar Hale for the Dreamwave Tag Team Titles. The identical twins attacked the champs from behind to open and Fields acknowledged reality that these women don’t have the size or strength to match up with these guys. I have compared the Hales to Ronda Rousey in looks.(These two do NOT engage in ‘twin magic;’ their tops are different. Not that I know which one is which.) 12 Gauge still has a shoulder brace that feels like it’s a permanent part of his ring gear. The women worked him over early on, with one Hale planting her boot in his throat. One of the Hales hit a low blow “Shattered Dreams” kick on 12 Gauge at 6:00.
Hunter finally got the hot tag and he dropped one twin onto the other and got a nearfall. A Hale hit a chop block to the back of Hunter’s knee, then the women did a spear-and-Russian Legsweep combo on Hunter at 8:00. 12 Gauge hit a Blue Thunder Bomb. 12 Gauge hit a spear! 12 Gauge flipped a Hale from the corner, and Hunter caught her and hit a powerslam and pinned her. Acceptable match; I really like what I’ve seen of these twins.
12 Gauge and Hunter Holdcraft defeated Sage Hale and Briar Hale to retain the Dreamwave Tag Team Titles at 9:24.
“The New Guys” Jake Bosche and Scott Stanley hit the ring and attacked the champions. I’ve seen these guys in St. Louis-based Glory Pro Wrestling. They got on the mic and introduced themselves and said “they are IT.”
2. Vic Capri vs. Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella). An intense lockup early on. Capri hit a dropkick. Sidney grabbed Vic’s ankle at 2:00, allowing Channing to crotch Vic on the top rope. Kyle Fields explains away all the heel cheating and Dombrowski was incredulous. Channing hit a backbreaker over his knee and took control. Vic hit a running knee for a nearfall at 5:00. Channing hit a spin kick for a nearfall. They traded rollups. Capri hit an Exploder Suplex. They both tumbled to the floor. Sidney threw Channing back into the ring. He tried to hold onto Vic’s ankle to block him from getting in. Sidney pulled out an aerosol can and sprayed it in Vic’s eyes! It allowed Channing to hit a piledriver and score the tainted pin. Entertaining.
Channing Thomas defeated Vic Capri at 8:37.
3. Marcus Mathers vs. Dante Leon for the Dreamwave Alternative Title. Leon was recently on AEW/ROH TV and he’s a regular in NOAH in Japan. Mathers, like Channing Thomas and a few others here, made the trek from the East Coast. Quick reversals at the bell, and Marcus hit a dropkick. Mathers hit a dive to the floor at 2:00, and there is NOT a lot of room to move out there. In the ring, Marcus hit a mule kick and got a nearfall. Dante hit a running knee to the chest. They got up and traded chops and forearm strikes.
Mathers hit a stunner, then a German Suplex at 5:30, then a top-rope twisting crossbody block for a nearfall. Dante hit a Swanton Bomb on Mathers, who was standing but leaning over, for a nearfall at 7:00. They traded roundhouse kicks, and Dante hit a stunner at 8:30. Marcus hit a stunner. He hit a twisting suplex into the corner, then a top-rope 450 Splash for the pin. That was unsurprisingly really good action.
Marcus Mathers defeated Dante Leon to retain the Dreamwave Alternative Title at 10:44.
4. Billie Starkz vs. Kylie Rae vs. J-Rod vs. Brooke Havok in a No. 1 contender’s match for a shot at the Uprising Alternative Title. I like that Tony Khan lets wrestlers who aren’t booked on the PPV work elsewhere. Val Capone provided ring intros. All four are regulars here. Havok is wearing a full-body green-and-black outfit (she could wear that if she fought in Saudi Arabia.) Kylie rolled to the floor to stall. J-Rod hit a snake-eyes on Billie. J-Rod hit a spinebuster on Kylie at 2:00. Billie hit a spin kick on Havok, then a German Suplex. Havok hit a basement dropkick on Kylie. Havok hit a twisting neckbreaker on Kylie at 4:30. J-Rod hit an impressive double German Suplex, then some clotheslines. They tried to beat up the bigger J-Rod, but of course, argued over who would get the pin. Billie hit a Canadian Destroyer. Brooke hit her own Canadian Destroyer. Kylie hit a Canadian Destroyer on Brooke for the pin. Fun but shorter than I would have liked.
Kylie Rae defeated Billie Starkz, J-Rod, and Brooke Havok to earn a Uprising Alternative Title shot at 7:51.
5. Christian Rose vs. Brooks Berna. Rose has cut off his long hair and he now has the sides of his head shaved. They brawled to the floor, and Rose whipped Berna into the guardrails. In the ring, Berna hit a backbreaker over his knee, then a faceplant at 2:30. Rose regained control and he beat down the smaller Berna. He suplexed Berna into a corner at 6:30. He put Berna on his shoulders and hit a modified Go To Sleep for the pin. Pretty one-sided, and this one didn’t do much for me.
Christian Rose defeated Brooks Berna at 7:04.
6. Rebecca J. Scott vs. Missa Kate for the Uprising Alternative TItle. Scott is short with long blonde hair; think former TNA wrestler Taylor Wilde. I’ve only seen her here and nowhere else. I’ve repeatedly compared tough-girl Kate to NXT’s Adriana Rizzo. An alien mascot joined Scott to ringside; Kate hit it with a bat. Scott dove onto Kate to open the match. In the ring, Scott missed a Swanton, and Kate immediately hit a hard kick to the sternum that sent Rebecca flying. Kate backed her into a corner and hit a hard chop at 3:00. Kate hit a bodyslam. Scott got a nice Crucifix Driver for a nearfall. She hit a Blockbuster for a nearfall at 6:00.
Scott caught her in an Octopus Stretch. She applied a front guillotine choke but Kate escaped. Kate hit a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. Missa went to the floor and grabbed the bat she used on the alien, but the ref confiscated it. Rebecca got a rollup for a visual pin but the ref was out of position. Scott reapplied the front guillotine choke and they fell to the mat, with Scott keeping it locked in. The ref checked Kate and called for the bell, as Kate had passed out.
Rebecca J. Scott defeated Missa Kate at 8:49.
7. Mustafa Ali vs. Stephen Wolf in a tables match. Wolf is a top-notch Texas-based talent. They jawed nose-to-nose and they appear to be about the same height and body size. Ali hit some punches and a flying head-scissors takedown, then a dive through the ropes and barreled into Wolf at 1:30. Wolf hit a flip dive to the floor. Wolf set up some tables at ringside, and one was set up in the corner in the ring. Ali hit some chops. Wolf hit a half-nelson suplex at 5:30. Ali hit a tornado DDT. Wolf flipped off the top rope and crashed through a table at 9:30; the ref and commentators noted it wasn’t an ‘offensive maneuver’ so it doesn’t count.
Ali hit a running dropkick into the corner. He hit a superkick. Ali crashed through a table in the corner; again, this wasn’t an offensive move so it was waved off. Wolf put a thick, white, plastic table in the ring. Wolf hit a powerbomb and he kept setting up the table. Wolf hit a huracanrana, flipping Ali off the table to the mat. Ali put Wolf in a Sharpshooter on top of the table! Wolf tapped out at 15:30 but as the commentators pointed out, that’s not how you win this match. Ali went under the ring and found some wood tables and put them in the ring. Wolf hit a Shooting Star Press onto Ali. They fought on the ropes, and Ali hit a sit-out powerbomb through the wood table to get the win. Really good action.
Mustafa Ali defeated Stephen Wolf in a tables match at 17:06.
8. Connor Hopkins (w/Those Damn Coyotes) vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo for the Dreamwave Title. Hopkins just won the title here a couple months ago, and I admittedly am not seeing the “It Factor” in him yet. Vikingo just returned from Japan where he competed for GLEAT and it’s great to have him back in action. Connor slapped away a handshake offer. Vikingo went for a handspring-back-move but Hopkins kicked him in the gut. TDC attacked Vkingo on the floor. In the ring, Connor kept him grounded. Vikingo dove off the ropes but Hopkins caught his legs and hit a powerbomb at 5:00. Hopkins applied a half-crab. He twisted Vikingo’s knee and kept him grounded.
Hopkins hit a back suplex at 7:30, then some stiff kicks to the spine. Vikingo hit a superkick and a mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall. Vikingo hit a spinning kick to the head, sending Hopkins to the floor. Vikingo hit a flip dive to the floor on TDC at 9:30. He dragged Hopkins back into the ring, and Vikingo hit a top-rope frogsplash for a believable nearfall. Vikingo tied him a Triangle Choke, but Hopkins reached the ropes at 12:00. Hopkins set up for a Jay Driller, but Vikingo escaped and hit a superkick. Vikingo tied up Hopkins in a surfboard and leaned back. The ref counted all four shoulders down! We have a double-pin and a draw. Good match.
Connor Hopkins vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo went to a draw (double-pin) at 13:41; Hopkins retained the title.
* We were going to have “five more minutes” but Connor immediately hit a low-blow kick on Vikingo, shoved the ref, and tied up Vikingo’s leg in the ropes. Christian Rose eventually hit the ring for the save.
9. “Warhorse” Jake Parnell vs. Colt Cabana. I guess Tony Khan didn’t consider Cabana to be essential at Wrestle Dream, either. Cabana poked the eyes to start and this feels like we’re going to have a comedy match. The blinded Parnell splashed into the corner on nobody, and Cabana rolled him up for a nearfall. Parnell hit a dropkick to the back as Colt was in the ropes to get a nearfall at 3:00. He hit a guillotine leg drop for a nearfall. He hit a second-rope dropkick for a nearfall and he kept Cabana grounded. Cabana hit a Bionic Elbow and a flying buttbump in the corner, then a splash for a nearfall at 6:00. They got up and traded chops and forearm strikes. Cabana applied the Billy Goat’s Curse ( a reverse Boston Crab), but Parnell reached the ropes at 8:30. Parnell snapped Cabana’s throat across the top rope, then he hit a top-rope elbow drop and scored the pin. Decent action.
Jake Parnell defeated Colt Cabana at 9:07.
10. Maggie Lee vs. Megan Bayne for the Dreamwave Women’s Title. A violinist played Bayne’s theme song before she came from the back. Cool; we don’t see that in indy wrestling. Both women are about 5’11” but I’m guessing Bayne is much stronger. They immediately traded forearm strikes. Bayne hit some bodyslams and a spear for a nearfall at 2:00. Bayne hit a butterfly suplex. Lee hit a Helluva Kick, then a Nigel-style Tower of London stunner onto the ring apron. (Hey, Dombrowski made the Nigel reference, too!) They fought on the floor, with Lee whipping Megan into the guardrail. Maggie tossed her over the guardrail and into the crowd at 5:00. Megan got back in to avoid a count-out, but Lee was still in charge.
Lee hit a snap Northern Lights suplex, then another, for a nearfall at 7:30. Bayne began to rally and hit some forearm strikes in the corner, but Lee choked her in the ropes and kept her grounded. Bayne hit a kick that knocked Lee to the floor. Megan hit some Sheamus-style blows to the chest in the ropes at 9:30, then a springboard suplex back into the ring. Bayne hit a fallaway slam that sent Maggie to the floor. Megan dove through the ropes onto her, and I must reiterate there is no room for them to move on the floor, so the dive caused Lee’s back to bend backward. In the ring, Bayne hit a top-rope somersault onto Lee for a nearfall.
Lee hit a Blockbuster, but Bayne hit a Falcon Arrow, and they were both down at 12:00, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Lee hit a Helluva Kick. Bayne hit a Stinger Splash. Lee hit a shotgun dropkick. Bayne hit a German Suplex, so Lee hit one, so Bayne hit one! Bayne another one. They pie-faced each other. They hit stereo Mafia Kicks, and Bayne nailed a spear for a nearfall at 15:30. Lee hit a Cradle Shock slam for a nearfall. Bayne hit a running powerbomb for a nearfall. The ref got bumped as Bayne picked up Lee! Bayne hit the Tombstone Piledriver for a visual pin. A second ref hopped in and counted a nearfall. Lee hit a sunset driver for a nearfall at 18:00.
Maggie hit a Tombstone Piledriver but only got a one-count. Maggie hit a top-rope moonsault for a believable nearfall. “What is it going to take?” Kyle Fields shouted. Bayne nailed her F5 Slam, but Maggie rolled to the floor to avoid being pinned. She grabbed the belt… and she hit the second ref with it! Lee hit Bayne with the title belt, too! She woke up the original ref, who made the tainted three-count. I really liked how that played out.
Maggie Lee defeated Megan Bayne to retain the Dreamwave Women’s Title at 20:11.
* Maggie got on the mic and called the fans “losers.”” She said there isn’t anyone who can beat her. The lights went out! This brought out the returning Zayda Steel, who has spent much of the summer in Japan. Zayda got in the ring and argued with Maggie.
Final Thoughts: A really good main event and they definitely earned best match. While I’m not a big fan of tables matches, Wolf-Ali was really good and takes second. I’ll go with that strong Mathers-Leon match for third. I’m still not seeing “it” in Connor Hopkins, even though it was a solid match with Vikingo. Glad to see Vikingo back, but he didn’t do a single move here from his stellar move-set. If Hopkins was a must-see talent, worthy of being champion here, why isn’t he getting booked on all the other prominent indies? In comparison, Dreamwave Women’s Champion Maggie Lee has wrestled from Glory Pro in St. Louis to a recent Limitless Wrestling debut in Maine.
Only a few negatives. Rose-Berna was flat. I like the Hale twins but it’s really hard to pretend they could match up in this intergender match. And the four-way women’s match was just heating up when it suddenly ended. The pluses definitely outweigh the negatives. This promotion continues to sell out show after show, and it’s not hard to see why.
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