By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Arrival Wrestling “Arrival 3”
Available via YouTube.com
November 22, 2024 in Rutherford, New Jersey at Williams Center
This show aired live and free on YouTube.com. The venue is a nice, small theater and I’ve seen shows from there before. The lighting is okay; it’s hard to see the crowd but it appears to be in the 300-range. Emil Jay and another man provided commentary.
* Sam Leterna kicked off the show in the ring.
1. Myron Reed vs. Dante Leon. We have a clock in the lower left corner of the screen. Some standing switches, then they traded armdrags and had a standoff at 2:00. Reed hit an enzuigiri. They fought to the floor with Leon showing some agility in avoiding a leg sweep move. In the ring, Leon hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall at 4:30. Emil said this was a bonus match and not the format sheet given to him. Reed hit a stunner and they were both down at 7:00. Reed hit a dive over the top rope, and that popped the crowd. In the ring, Reed put Leon’s feet on the ropes and hit a Flatliner for a nearfall.
Leon hit an enzuigiri, then a top-rope Swanton Atomico onto Reed’s back for a nearfall at 9:30. Reed hit his stunner over the top rope, with them crashing to the floor, where Leon hit an inverted DDT. Leon missed a top-rope doublestomp, but he hit a cartwheel/twisting slam to the mat for a nearfall. Leon went for a Ruca-style Sol Snatcher, but Reed blocked it! Reed hit a stunner and an Air Raid Crash for the pin. Good action.
Myron Reed defeated Dante Leon at 13:14.
2. Alec Price vs. Gabriel Skye vs. Brayden Toon vs. J Bouji. It’s been a month or two since I’ve seen Skye in action. I have compared Toon to a young Kevin Steen, in that he’s quite agile for being a bit bigger; that said, he’s lost a lot of weight in the past year. Skye lunged at Bouji before the bell and the ref had to separate them. No on-screen clock for this one. All four traded forearm strikes. Skye hit a dropkick on Bouji at 1:30. Brayden hit a Running Shooting Star Press on Bouji. Brayden hit a Moonsault Press. Price looked like Super Mario, jumping on one guy, then another. (Emil just used the same Super Mario reference after I wrote it!) Bouji hit a Pele Kick on Price at 4:00.
Price hit a step-up knee in a corner on Brayden, then he caught Skye with a stunner. Toon hit a running neckbreaker on Price. Bouji hit a suplex on Toon into the corner. Bouji suplexed Price. Skye hit a clothesline on Bouji, then a Northern Lights Suplex and a Falcon Arrow. Price hit his springboard Blockbuster on Skye for a believable nearfall. They did a tower spot out of the corner. Bouji hit a Swanton Bomb at 6:30 and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Bouji hit a dive through the ropes. Skye hit a corkscrew dive to the floor. Toon hit an Asai Moonsault onto all three opponents. Price hit a springboard dive. Price hit a springboard Canadian Destroyer! Skye hit a top-rope doublestomp Toon hit Ball Game (pump-handle powerbomb) and pinned Skye! That was a blast. Messy, non-selling fun but I thoroughly enjoyed that.
Brayden Toon defeated Gabriel Skye, Alec Price and J Bouji at 8:26.
* A video aired where Joey Janela talked about a trainee who drove him to a hospital when Joey got burned recently in the GCW Art of War Games match. Joey said he is now going to wrestle this trainee in his first-ever match.
3. Joey Janela vs. Justin Finn. When I saw this match listed, I thought Joey was fighting “Seabass Finn,” who has been tearing it up lately in the northeast. Finn is white with short, dark hair and clearly he has a LOT of family and friends in the crowd to see his first-ever match, and he got the streamers treatment. The on-screen clock re-appeared into the match but it’s 20 seconds behind. Standing switches and a basic feeling-out process. Joey hit a diving forearm at 4:00. Nick Gage joined Emil on commentary. Joey hit some LOUD chops and he’s turning this rookie’s chest purple. They went to the floor, where Janela slammed him back-first against the ring post at 6:00, then he tossed Finn into rows of empty chairs. Finn’s chest is raw! Gage joked that Finn shouldn’t get used to those streamers. (He won’t always have this many family and friends for his matches!)
They got back into the ring, where Joey kicked at Finn and kept him grounded. Joey hit a backbreaker over his knee at 8:00; this has been one-sided. (To be clear, Joey is snug but certainly not taking any liberties with the kid.) Finn hit a clothesline that popped his section in the crowd. Finn hit some left-handed punches, then a tornado DDT for a nearfall at 10:00. Joey hit a Falcon Arrow. Finn applied a Fujiwara Armbar and the crowd taunted Joey to tap out, but Janela reached the ropes at 12:00. Joey hit a Death Valley Driver onto the ring apron; Joey sold pain in his left arm. In the ring, Joey hit another DVD for a nearfall, then a piledriver for a nearfall, and the crowd popped for the kickout.
Joey got a board and set it up in the corner of the ring. However, Finn speared Janela through the board! Finn hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall at 15:30. Joey picked up board shards and hit Finn over the head with it. It made Finn livid, and they traded forearm strikes. Joey nailed a superkick and scored the pin. Very few people could have a match that good, that watchable, in their debut. Kudos to both of them. Joey got on the mic and said “That was one hell of a f—in’ debut.”
Joey Janela defeated Justin Finn at 16:22.
4. Moose vs. Jackson Drake for the TNA X Division Title. Drake, a WWE ID prospect, came out to a death metal version of “Heathens” by Twenty One Pilots, and he’s 2-0 here. Moose wore his belt to the ring. Moose, as usual, has a big height and overall size/weight advantage, and Drake stalled in the ropes. Moose hit a bodyslam at 1:30, and Drake rolled to the floor to regroup. He got back in the ring and slapped Moose in the face, so Moose chopped him to the mat. Drake hit a dive through the ropes at 3:30, then another. Drake went for a third dive, but Moose caught him and basically hit a spinebuster on the apron! Ouch! Back in the ring, Drake hit a chop block to the back of the left knee, and he took control, twisting the knee on the mat.
Drake charged at him, but Moose hit a uranage and a senton for a nearfall at 8:00. Drake got a sunset flip powerbomb for a nearfall and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Drake went for a Lethal Injection, but Moose blocked it. Moose leapt off the top rope, but Drake caught him with a stunner, then Drake hit the Lethal Injection for a nearfall at 11:00. Moose put Drake on his shoulders, but Drake’s legs hit the ref! Drake immediately hit a low blow and an F5 for a nearfall at 12:30. Moose hit his spear for the pin. Good match.
Moose defeated Jackson Drake to retain the TNA X Division Title at 13:32.
* A video package aired for Santana Jackson. I can’t think of anything more gross and disturbing than celebrating Michael Jackson with a lookalike. Where is the Bill Cosby cosplayer to offer puddin’ pops to kids and spiked drinks to women? Maybe someone can come out dressed like Jared from Subway? So tone-deaf in 2024.
5. Santana Jackson vs. Bobby Orlando. I’ve frequently compared Orlando’s brand of humor to Colt Cabana’s mix of action and comedy. This match is sucking, and not just because of my hatred of MJ… the crowd just wasn’t interested in booing Orlando. I’ve seen Santana matches get good reactions (regardless of my opinion) but this crowd has died. Orlando hit a second-rope flying stunner for a nearfall at 7:00. They vanished under the ring and Santana re-emerged with the wolf mask and “Thriller” red jacket on. Santana hit the Moonwalk DDT for what appeared to be a pin, but a guy in a hoodie pulled the ref to the floor and struck the ref. He took off the hoodie and it was Jimmy Lloyd. However, Lloyd accidentally hit a leg drop on Bobby! Lloyd hit a low blow on Santana and stomped on him. Lloyd got on the mic and was upset that the promoter wasn’t answering his calls or texts, so he had to show up and make his presence felt. JBL’s theme song played! A guy got in the ring, wearing a black jacket and cowboy hat, but it was Effy, not JBL. However, Santana hit the Moonwalk DDT for the pin on Bobby. This was so much worse than I expected.
Santana Jackson defeated Bobby Orlando at 12:14.
* 20-minute intermission.
6. Jay Lyon vs. Cole Radrick vs. Marcus Mathers in a three-way. Again, Mathers is a WWE ID prospect. Radrick hit a huracanrana on Mathers, then a leaping Flatliner. Mathers hit some deep armdrags on Radrick. Lyon did his roar and it dropped Mathers to the mat in fear, and Lyon hit a cannonball on Marcus against the ropes at 3:00. The on-screen clock is back but again is 20 seconds late. Lyon hit an Exploder Suplex on Mathers. Radrick hit a clothesline to the back of Lyon’s neck, then a dive to the floor on Mathers, then a top-rope Swanton on Lyon for a nearfall at 6:30, and the crowd cheered for Cole. Lyon hit a double back suplex, then a double spear.
Mathers hit a springboard stunner on Lyon; Radrick hit a springboard stunner on Mathers; Lyon hit a Lionsault Press onto both of them, and they were all down at 8:30. This crowd is still on the quiet side. Lyon went for a handspring move but Mathers kicked him in the face. Mathers suplexed Lyon into the corner, then Marcus hit a top-rope 450 Splash to pin Lyon. Good action, and much better than the crowd’s reaction to it.
Marcus Mathers defeated Jay Lyon and Cole Radrick at 9:12.
* A video package aired for Masha Slamovich and WWE ID prospect Zayda Steel.
7. TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich vs. Zayda Steel in a non-title match. Masha has her TNA Knockouts Title with her but it is NOT on the line. I have compared Zayda’s act to a young Chelsea Green; she has so much star power. The bell rang but Zayda cowered in the ropes. Standing switches and Masha tied up the left arm. Masha dropped her with a clothesline at 1:30, then she hit some hair-mares and she was in charge. Zayda raked the eyes, mounted Masha, and hit some punches, and choked Masha in the ropes. Masha hit a Mafia Kick at 4:00. Zayda nailed a Stomp that popped the commentators. Zayda nailed a dive through the ropes. Masha whipped Zayda into rows of empty chairs!
In the ring, Zayda hit a Lungblower move to the chest and got a nearfall at 6:30. Zayda applied an Octopus Stretch. Masha fired back with a pair of Helluva Kicks and her rolling Koppo Kick for a nearfall at 8:00. She applied a rear-naked choke but Zayda flipped over for a nearfall. Masha hit a gut-wrench powerbomb move for a nearfall. They traded forearm strikes. This crowd, which had been dead for the last two matches, is fully back. Zayda hit a Code Red for a nearfall at 10:00. Masha hit a roundhouse kick to the head, then the White Knight Driver (piledriver) for the clean pin. That was really good.
TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich defeated Zayda Steel in a non-title match at 10:51.
8. Homicide vs. Drew Parker. Parker is a death match guy who retired for maybe a year and just returned. Nick Gage returned to the booth and talked about Homicide visiting him in prison. A feeling-out process early on without much to describe. Homicide hit a tornado DDT at 3:30. Parker threw a chair at Homicide, and he hit a flip dive to the floor, but Drew clutched at his ankle upon landing. Drew threw another chair at ringside and I HATE that, as there are no guardrails and fans are standing right there! In the ring, Homicide hit some rolling suplexes, and he completed the Three Amigos for a nearfall at 6:00. He tied up the left arm on the mat and was in charge.
Parker rebounded out of the ropes and hit a stunner. He hit a plancha to the floor on Homicide at 8:00, and they brawled more on the floor. Homicide again threw a chair at Parker’s head that easily could have struck a fan, and I just don’t get how this is even allowed. In the ring, Homicide pulled out a fork and he jabbed it in Parker’s mouth, earning a “you sick f—!” chant. Homicide hit a stunner at 11:30, then a short-arm clothesline. Parker hit a stunner while rebounding out of the ropes, then he hit a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall. Homicide nailed the Cop Killah (backslide driver) for the pin. This one came in below my expectations, and I just can’t understand throwing chairs at an opponent.
Homicide defeated Drew Parker at 14:05.
9. Zachary Wentz vs. Michael Oku. Oku is a top UK star an Emil said this is the first time he’s called an Oku match. They traded good reversals early on. Oku hit a head-scissors takedown, then a second-rope missile dropkick at 2:00. He hit a basement dropkick to the back for a nearfall, and he tied up Wentz on the mat, then he hit a backbreaker over his knee. Wentz suplexed Oku, and Michael sold pain in his knee because it struck the ropes. Wentz hit a snap German Suplex and a running Penalty Kick, then a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 5:00. Oku hit a top-rope Lionsault for a nearfall.
They traded kicks to the head, then traded jumping knees to chins and were both down at 7:00. Oku nailed a Fosbury Flop to the floor. In the ring, he went for a frogsplash but Wentz hit a jumping uppercut, and they were both down again. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees, then while standing. Oku applied a half-crab — his finisher hold! — and Wentz writhed on the mat and got a rollup on Oku for a nearfall at 9:30. Wentz hit a series of kicks and a doublestomp. Wentz went for a Swanton Bomb but Oku got his knees up to block it.
Oku nailed the frogsplash for a believable nearfall, and he was shocked he didn’t win there. Wentz nailed a leaping Canadian Destroyer and got a nearfall. Wentz hit a Lungblower move to the chin, but Oku rolled through and applied the half-crab! Oku leaned back, cranked on the leg, and Wentz tapped out. A very good match. A very good showing for the Brit star.
Michael Oku defeated Zachary Wentz at 12:54.
Final Thoughts: An enjoyable show, with a very good main event that takes best match. I really liked Zayda-Masha and that takes second. The show-opening four-way really entertained me and takes third, but I also really liked both Moose-Drake and a good showing by Janela and the rookie Finn. My dislike for Santana Jackson aside.. popular babyface Bobby Orlando was a terrible choice for an opponent. Maybe pick a heel who doesn’t mind being made fun of, like Channing Thomas. I really don’t know what Effy was doing out there at the end of the match, either. And I just didn’t like the gross spot with the fork or the chair-throwing in the Homicide match.
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