By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Beyond Wrestling “Nyarlathotep”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
October 20, 2024 in Providence, Rhode Island at Fete Music Hall
This is a club and the crowd is maybe 80-120. (I really don’t get how they draw better for Westling Open shows on Thursdays than they do for weekend shows. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness provided commentary.
Unfortunately, Alec Price is sick so his match against Landon Hale was canceled.
1. Bryce Donovan vs. Marcus Mathers. Marcus wore his Phillies-inspired pants. Both men have been on a roll of late. Marcus immediately hit some punches on his bigger opponent. He dove to the floor but Bryce caught him. In the ring, Marcus tried for a bodyslam but Bryce blocked it and knocked Mathers to the mat. Bryce hit the ropes, causing Marcus to fall and be crotched, and Bryce hit a dropkick as Marcus was tied in the Tree of Woe at 2:30. Donovan tossed him across the ring and he tied up Marcus on the mat and was in charge.
Mathers finally hit a bodyslam at 7:00 and the crowd rallied for him. He hit a German Suplex. Bryce hit a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall. Mathers hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip in the ropes, then a springboard stunner for a believable nearfall at 10:00. He kicked at Bryce’s injured left knee, and he applied a Boston Crab, but Bryce reached the ropes. They went to the floor, but Bryce chokeslammed him onto the ring apron. In the ring, Bryce hit another chokeslam for a believable nearfall. Mathers hit a superkick. Bryce hit a pop-up powerbomb and a diving forearm at 13:30. He put Marcus on his shoulders but Mathers escaped. Mathers got a huracanrana and got the pin! “What a gutsy, defiance performance!” Crockett shouted.
Marcus Mathers defeated Bryce Donovan at 14:09.
2. “The Batiri” Obariyon and Kodama vs. “Big Business” TJ Crawford and Love, Doug. The Batiri wear the yellow-and-black face paint and I’ve never been able to keep them apart. BB attacked from behind and all four brawled. A Batiri member hit a dropkick on TJ. Another Batiri hit a basement dropkick on Doug’s knee. BB worked over an opponent in their corner. A Batiri hit a spear on TJ at 6:00. A Batiri hit a Lungblower to Doug’s back. Doug hit an assisted powerbomb for the pin. Solid but pretty basic.
TJ Crawford and Love, Doug defeated Obariyon and Kodama at 7:31.
3. Ichiban vs. Ben Bishop. Bishop’s debut here; he’s really tall and at first glance, I thought it was Von Wagner! He seriously might be 6’9″ or so. A quick internet search shows he faced Roderick Strong in July on AEW Rampage, and had prior AEW TV matches in losses to Preston Vance and Bear Bronson (I knew I had seen him somewhere!) Ichiban charged but Bishop easily caught him. He placed Ichiban on the top rope and hit some knee strikes to the gut, and he kept Ichiban grounded. He hit a gutbuster over his knee at 5:00. Bishop hit a guillotine leg drop for a nearfall. He hit a fallaway slam at 7:30 that sent Ichiban all the way across the ring. Ichiban hit a handspring-back-elbow and a top-rope missile dropkick that sent Ben to the floor.
Ichiban dove to the floor but Ben caught him. Ichiban shoved him head-first into a pillar. In the ring, Ichiban hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall at 9:30. Bishop hit a hard spinebuster for a nearfall. Ichiban hit a huracanrana and a leaping DDT. He hit a top-rope leaping DDT, then his leaping Flatliner for the pin. Good match. Indy wrestling has a lot of big guys, but Ben stands out because he is so tall. They shook hands afterwards.
Ichiban defeated Ben Bishop at 11:29.
4. Megan Bayne vs. Bulk Bronson (w/Gabby Forza) in an intergender match. Bayne wrestled in Los Angeles less than 24 hours earlier. They had an intense lockup and appear to be the same height (roughly 5’11”). He knocked her down with a shoulder tackle at 2:00. She went for a bodyslam but he blocked it and he hit a bodyslam. He hit a hard chop. She hit a Stinger Splash and a double-underhook suplex, then she hit the bodyslam! She hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall at 3:30. Bronson hit a Black Hole Slam. Gabby hopped on the ring apron and rubbed her face in his chest. Funny. Bronson dropped all his weight onto Megan’s chest for a nearfall at 5:00.
Bayne hit a suplex but sold pain in her lower back. She hit some punches, then a belly-to-belly suplex, then a gut-wench suplex! She hit a flying kick that sent him backward into the corner. She hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 7:00. Bronson hit a German Suplex but she popped up and hit a Mafia Kick, then an F5 faceplant for a nearfall. They traded punches while on their knees. She hit a leaping clothesline. He hit a chokeslam powerbomb for a nearfall at 10:00. They fought on the ropes; she dropped underneath him and hit a sit-out powerbomb. She then nailed the Tombstone Piledriver for the pin. Good match.
Megan Bayne defeated Bulk Bronson at 11:40.
5. Slade vs. Gabby Forza (w/Bronson) in an intergender match. I’ve written this before, but Slade looks like every scary, bald, prison inmate in every movie you’ve seen; he has that scary glare of Dexter Lumis, and he has a height advantage over her. He immediately knocked her down with some blows and kept her on the mat. They rolled to the floor, and it’s clear that Bronson is conflicted, wanting to get involved to help his fiance. She ducked a chairshot that instead struck the ring post at 1:30, and she hit him with a chair and shoved him head-first into the ring post.
They got into the ring, where he dropped her with a stiff forearm strike. Gabby hit a spear for a nearfall, then an Exploder Suplex. She hit a running Bulldog Powerslam through a board in the corner for a nearfall at 4:00. He hit a vicious chokeslam. He hit a hard chairshot across her back, then another and another. Bronson finally threw a towel into the ring, and the ref finally called for the bell. He shook her hand as a sign of respect. I found this match very uncomfortable to watch, but I also think that was the point.
Slade defeated Gabby Forza via ref stoppage at 6:42.
6. Ryan Clancy and Pedro Dones and Bobby Orlando vs. “Big Business” Brad Hollister and Victor Chase and Julio Cruz. The heels came out first, and Hollister talked about an upcoming 12-man tag match between BB and The Church of Greatness. The heels started to head to the back. The babyfaces caught them at the entrance, and I started my stopwatch here as they all brawled on the floor. In the ring, the babyface trio hit stereo bodyslams. The bell rang at 1:20 to officially begin. Pedro hit a rolling senton, and the babyfaces worked over Chase’s left arm. Clancy hit a butterfly suplex. Cruz got in but the babyfaces began working him over, too.
The heels began working over Pedro in their corner, hitting running Stinger Splashes in the corner on Dones. Clancy got the hot tag at 8:00 and hit punches on all the heels. He hit his Russian Leg Sweep on Cruz and was fired up. He put Cruz in a Sharpshooter but the other heels made the save. Hollister hit a standing powerbomb on Clancy for a nearfall. Cruz hit a spinebuster on Clancy. Dones hit a flying headbutt on Chase. The babyfaces surrounded Hollister and took turns punching him at 10:00. They hit a Team 3D on Chase. Clancy hit a dropkick on Chase, and Orlando hit a top-rope elbow drop for the pin. Good match.
Ryan Clancy and Pedro Dones and Bobby Orlando defeated Brad Hollister and Victor Chase and Julio Cruz at 11:21/official time is about 10:00 even.
7. Allie Katch vs. Aaron Rourke in an intergender match. Allie is a heel here (I think she is currently a heel in all promotions where she’s working!) Basic reversals early on and Rourke hit a missile dropkick. He went for a handstand but she kicked his back while he was upside down and she got a nearfall at 2:30. She choked him in the ropes and was in charge. Rourke hit some spin kicks to the thighs, but she dropped him throat-first across the top rope, and hit a buttbump that sent Aaron to the floor at 5:00.
In the ring, she hit a top-rope guillotine leg drop for a nearfall. Rourke hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip in the ropes at 7:00 and she was hobbled, and they were both down. Rourke hit a buttbump in the corner for a nearfall. She hit a so-so-looking huracanrana. She got an inside cradle for a nearfall. She went for her piledriver but he escaped at 11:00 and immediately applied a Figure Four. He bridged up (like Charlotte Flair) into a Figure Eight, and she tapped out. Decent match; I’ve said this before, but I don’t find her particularly believable against men.
Aaron Rourke defeated Allie Katch at 11:08.
8. Krule vs. Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella and DJ Powers) for the IWTV Title. Bakabella is in a wheelchair again. Channing jawed at the taller, thicker Krule then slapped him in the face and ducked to the floor. Channing hit a piledriver as they got bac into the ring. Krule grabbed Channing and easily tossed him across the ring at 1:30. Krule started to stalk Bakabella; it allowed Channing to hit a tornado DDT on the floor. In the ring, Channing used the title belt and struck Krule in the face. Krule hit a side slam for a nearfall at 4:30.
Channing hit several dropkicks, then a fisherman’s suplex. He hit a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. Krule hit a backbreaker over his knee. Powers jumped in the ring but Krule hit a chokeslam on him. Krule then hit a chokeslam on Channing, but Bakabella pulled the ref from the ring. Channing got a rollup for a nearfall. Little Mean Kathleen appeared and she pulled the ref from the ring to stop a Channing victory!! Krule hit his Implant Buster face plant and scored the pin. Solid match. Krule just stands out because he’s so much bigger than his opponents. LMK hopped in the ring to celebrate with Krule, but he hit the Implant Buster on her, too! Marcus Mathers ran in and pulled her to safety. Looks like we are getting that Mathers-Krule rematch down the road.
Krule defeated Channing Thomas at 8:00 to retain the the IWTV Title.
9. Masha Slamovich vs. Drew Gulak in an intergender match. Again, Drew has maybe one week’s worth of hair on his head and a short beard these days. He stalled in the ropes at the bell before they locked up. There was an extensive feeling-out process as they traded offense in a knuckle lock. Gulak hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall at 5:00 and he worked over her left arm. He slammed her and she clutched at her knee at 8:30. He hit another bodyslam and she was selling the pain, but he pulled her to her feet and clocked her with a forearm strike to send her back to the mat.
Masha applied a crossarm breaker, but Gulak reached the ropes. They continued to traded mat reversals; he begged off but she hit some Yes Kicks to his chest at 11:00. She again applied a crossarm breaker but he quickly got a foot on the ropes, and he rolled to the floor to stall. Back in the ring, He hit some knee lifts to her gut and more stiff forearm strikes that again dropped her. He applied an anklelock but she reached the ropes at 14:00. She hit a Helluva Kick in the corner and her rolling Koppo Kick for a nearfall, but Drew reached the ropes.
Masha hit a spinning back fist, then a second-rope superplex, and they were both down; she got a nearfall at 16:00. Masha hit a Shining Wizard for a nearfall. Drew applied a Dragon Sleeper but she escaped. Drew tossed her around the ring. She hit a roundhouse kick to the head, then another! She got a nearfall, then immediately locked in a crossarm breaker. She applied a leg lock around his neck and got a three-count! Gulak was shocked that happened. A very good mat-based match; this one isn’t for everyone.
Masha Slamovich defeated Drew Gulak at 18:51.
* Gulak got on the mic and put her over, saying she reminds him of a former student of his, Kimber Lee. He said he feels he let her down because Kimber let her “demons get the best of her” and she left professional wrestling. “I’ve had a weird journey to get here,” Gulak said. He asked her why she took this match. Masha took the mic and said she wanted to prove to herself that her “future is boundless.” He asked Masha if she ever felt “unsafe” around him, or made her feel “uncomfortable in the locker room.” She said no.
However, he then attacked her and bodyslammed her! Megan Bayne ran in for the save and she glared at Gulak. He ducked out of the ring rather than fight her. Bayne helped Masha to her feet and raised her hand and they celebrated as the show went off the air.
Final Thoughts: I preferred that Donovan-Mathers opener for best match. Mathers continues to impress; he’s only 21 and he’s certainly moved into the top 20 indy talents and moving toward the top 10. I preferred Bronson-Bayne for second, with Gulak-Masha for third. I guess I’ll never understand the fascination with intergender matches, and it’s somewhat mind-boggling that four of the nine matches here are intergender bouts, PLUS Krule beating up Little Mean Kathleen. That said, Masha Slamovich and Megan Bayne put together entertaining and fairly believable matches against men.
I’m not sure what to make of the show-closing segment. I get that wrestling likes to blur the lines between reality and storyline, but Drew asking Slamovich if she ever felt uncomfortable around him didn’t work for me. I get that he may have an axe to grind at Ronda Rousey and WWE, but I don’t think the best place to handle that is a storyline involving other women. That said, I’ll try to keep an open mind and see how this plays out.
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