By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Blood Sweat Tears Wrestling “United By One, Together We Stand”
November 9, 2024 in Hamden, Connecticut at Devonshire Hall
Available via IndependentWrestling.TV
Hamden is on the south end of Connecticut, near Yale University. This was a fundraiser for juvenile diabetes awareness and it was recently uploaded on IWTV. This is a big room with a high ceiling. Unfortunately, the crowd was maybe 100-150. Lighting is good. Pete Rosato provided commentary.
1. Lucas Chase (w/Brother Greatness) vs. Wrecking Ball Legursky in a street fight. I admittedly haven’t watched NWA this year, but I always enjoyed Legursky’s dumb big-man gimmick; he’s a bit like WWE’s Otis. Chase has always impressed me in his Wrestling Open run, and he wore blue jeans and a T-shirt to signify this is a street fight, not a match. They immediately brawled. Legursky hit a running body block and he choked Lucas and stomped on him. Legursky leaned him against the ropes and hit some Sheamus-style blows to the chest at 2:30. Chase hit a dive through the ropes, and they brawled at ringside. Back in the ring, Legursky hit a side slam for a nearfall at 7:30, but he missed a Vader Bomb. Chase fired up, ripped off his shirt, and hit some jab punches. Legursky hit a standing powerbomb and a splash to the mat for a believable nearfall at 9:30.
Legursky got a chair, but Brother Greatness hopped on the ring apron and confiscated it. Legursky pulled BG into the ring and beat him up. Chase shoved Legursky into a chair wedged in the corner. Chase tried to pick up Legursky but his back gave out, and they both collapsed and were down at 11:30. They fought on the ropes in the corner. Legursky knocked him down and this time he hit the Vader Bomb and got the clean pin. He continued to beat up Chase after the bell until Brother Greatness made the save. Good brawl; good way to open the show.
Wrecking Ball Legursky defeated Lucas Chase at 13:00 even.
2. “Major League Blondes” Nahir Robles and JC Storm vs. Vita VonStarr and Amity Levay. I don’t think I’ve seen Levay before; she is Goth with black and dark red hair and she has numerous tattoos. (A commentator said Levay reminds her of a young Daffney, and I thought the same thing!) Robles is Puerto Rican and she’s competed a lot in the Northeast this year. Storm has long blonde hair and her team wore baseball jerseys to the ring. Vita is best known for her run with The Righteous (Vincent and Dutch) in ROH. The heels attacked the MLB and were booed. The heels bailed; they got back in and we have the bell to officially begin at 1:00. Nahir tied up Vita with a leg lock. The heels got Nahir into a corner and worked her over. Amity hit a double backflip into a back elbow at 4:00. Storm got in and hit a stunner on Amity for a nearfall.
Robles hit a running buttbump in the corner on Vita, and JC hit a senton on Vita for a nearfall. Amity swung a title belt but it struck the ref at 7:30. JC got a nearfall on Vita with a new ref in the ring. Vita got her feet on the ropes while rolling up JC Storm for the cheap pin. Decent action.
Vita VonStarr and Amity Levay defeated Nahir Robles and JC Storm at 8:05.
* Brother Greatness joined commentary. I really have grown to like his color commentary in Wrestling Open.
3. Sidney Akeem and Young Boy vs. “The Monarchy” Ariel and BMT. Ariel and BMT are a married couple, and I’ve noted before that I don’t find Ariel believable against bigger, stronger men. Akeem was a surprise, and the commentators and crowd popped as he came to the ring. Young Boy is similar to Dante Martin but more slender. BMT and Young Boy opened, with BMT quickly beating him down. YB hit a flying crossbody block and a dropkick. Ariel and Akeem got in at 3:30, and she jawed at him and shoved his chest. He did a backflip to avoid a clothesline. Brother Greatness noted he’s trying not to fight her. Sidney hit his twisting crossbody block on BMT at 5:00. Young Boy tagged back in and battled BMT. BMT hit a DDT, and the heels began to work YB over.
Young Boy hit a tornado DDT at 6:30, but Ariel cut YB off from tagging out. Akeem finally got the hot tag and he hit some punches on BMT and a step-up mule kick, then a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall, but he missed a moonsault. BMT hit a springboard stunner on Akeem. Akeem nailed The Final Act (double handspring into a stunner) and pinned BMT. A fun match. Worth pointing out that Akeem never actually struck Ariel. Ariel accidentally hit BMT with a chair.
Young Boy and Sidney Akeem defeated BMT and Ariel at 9:37.
4. Darius Carter vs. Dustin Waller for the BST Territory Championship. A feeling-out process to open, and Darius rolled to the floor to regroup. Darius hit a chop block on the back of the left knee at 2:00, and he immediately targeted the left leg. He tied Waller’s legs in a modified Figure Four and kept him grounded. Darius hit a top-rope belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall at 8:30, and he was shocked when Waller kicked out. Waller went for a Lethal Injection but Carter caught him in and locked in a sleeper. Waller dove off the ropes but Carter caught him with a kick to the sternum for a nearfall at 11:00 and we got a “this is awesome!” chant. Waller got a backslide for a nearfall. Waller got a rollup out of the blue for the pin! Brother Greatness shouted “He’s done it!”
Dustin Waller defeated Darius Carter to win the BST Territory Title at 11:42.
5. Savio Vega and Matt Awesome vs. Osito and Elijah Eden. I don’t know anyone in this one besides Vega. Two women came out, waving Puerto Rican flags, before Vega emerged from the back. Vega isn’t thin (he never really was!), but I seem to recall him being heavier than this the last time I saw him, so in that sense, I think he’s lost weight. He is 60! Awesome also had a Puerto Rican flag and it’s on his shorts, too. Osito and Eden wore masks. Awesome opened against Osito, who wore a Tiger Mask-style mask, and they traded lucha reversals. Vega entered and battled the thin, taller Eden. They locked up and traded standing switches at 3:00, with Vega keeping a hammerlock on. (A good way to have him in a match without actually bumping!)
Osito and Eden tied up Awesome and kept him grounded. Savio got a hot tag at 10:30 and hit some chops and clotheslines, then a backbody drop on each opponent. He hit a spin kick to the back of Osito. Osito and Eden collided in the center of the ring. Vega hit a superkick on Osito, and Awesome immediately hit a uranage to pin Osito. Well, if you are going to put a 60-year-old man into a ring and don’t ask him to take a single back bump, this is how you do it. Entertaining considering the limitations I just outlined. Savio spoke on the mic in Spanish and got a nice pop. He switched to English and thanked the crowd.
Savio Vega and Matt Awesome defeated Osito and Elijah Eden at 12:31.
6. Ryan Fraust vs. Hammer Tunis for the Pure Vanguard Wrestling Championship. I don’t think I’ve seen Fraust before; he’s bald and clearly older, with gray in his goatee. Tunis teased a knuckle lock, but then he kicked Fraust in the gut. Fraust hit an Exploder Suplex at 2:30. Tunis tied up the left arm and kept Ryan grounded. Fraust hit a side lam and they were both down at 6:00. Tunis hit a DDT out of the ropes for a nearfall. Fraust hit a clothesline for the pin. This wasn’t good.
Ryan Fraust defeated Hammer Tunis to retain the PVW Title at 7:55.
7. Brad Hollister vs. Ichiban vs. Marcos Santiago in a three-way. I don’t know Santiago, but the other two are among the top guys in the Northeast. Santiago has a good physique and is bigger than his opponents. Marcos’ manager was ejected in the first minute! Ichiban is the lone babyface in this match. Ichiban hit a double crossbody block and he hit some jab punches on Marcos. He hit a Stinger Splash on Marcos and his “One!” punches in the corner. He hit a dropkick on Hollister at 3:00. Hollister hit a clothesline that grounded Ichiban, and the heels both stomped on Ichiban. Santiago hit some bodyslams and posed. Brad hip-tossed Ichiban across the ring. Santiago accidentally clotheslined Hollister at 6:00.
Ichiban hit a second-rope missile dropkick on Santiago, then a flip dive to the floor on both heels. He hit a Blockbuster in the ring on Hollister for a nearfall. The heels hit a team slam, but then Brad rolled up Santiago for a nearfall, and they argued at 9:00, then they traded punches. Santiago pushed Hollister to the floor. However, Ichiban immediately nailed his leaping Flatliner and pinned Santiago! Good action.
Ichiban defeated Brad Hollister and Marcos Santiago in a three-way at 9:25.
8. BST Champion Landon Hale vs. Skywalker Champion Sammy Diaz in a title vs. title match. I’ve often compared Hale to a young Matt Taven, while Diaz is comparable to Trey Miguel, and I’m a big fan of both guys (it’s the reason I watched this show!) Both are babyfaces. They traded armdrags, both missed dropkicks, and had a standoff at 1:00. Hale hit a dropkick but only got a one-count. Brother Greatness talked about Hale’s recent wXw tour in Germany, as Hale hit some LOUD chops. Diaz fired back with his own loud chops. Hale hit a backbreaker over his knee and a standing neckbreaker at 4:00. Hale did a Sabre-style snap of the neck between his ankles, and he kept Sammy grounded. He hit an enzuigiri, but Sammy hit a powerslam. Diaz went for a moonsault, but Hale got his knees up.
Hale hit a Lethal Injection and another enzuigiri. Sammy hit a Pele Kick and they were both down at 7:00, and we got a “both these guys!” chant. Sammy hit some clotheslines and a huracanrana, then a dive through the ropes. Sammy hit a Brainbuster at 8:30. Sammy went for a Frankensteiner, but Hale rotated and landed on his feet. Hale hit a superkick, then a second Lethal Injection, then a running Shooting Star Press and a second-rope moonsault for a believable nearfall at 10:00. Great sequence. Sammy hit a Poison Rana, then a mid-ring Spanish Fly, and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes, and Hale hit a jumping knee to the jaw. Sammy hit a running knee, then a Cradle Shock for a believable nearfall at 12:30.
Hale threw Sammy head-first into the middle turnbuckle, then he hit a stunner. He set up for a Styles Clash but he turned it into a vertical powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Hale hit a Cradle Shock, but Diaz kicked out at one! Landon hit a step-up enzuigiri in the corner. Diaz hit a frogsplash, then a second Cradle Shock for the clean pin. This was tremendous and well worth going out of your way to watch it. They hugged afterwards.
Skywalker Champion Sammy Diaz defeated Landon Hale in a title vs. title match to win the BST Title at 16:03.
Final Thoughts: I try to avoid hyperbole, so I don’t use the word “tremendous” on a frequent basis to describe a match. Diaz and Hale stole the show and there is a reason they are getting booked every weekend, and Hale has recently taken European dates. Waller-Carter was good for second, with Ichiban’s three-way a distant third. I didn’t care for the Fraust-Tunis match, but everything else was fine. I’ve enjoyed Sidney Akeem’s post-WWE run, but I would have put him in a more marquee match than this. The Savio Vega match was fine for what it was, but you have to have realistic expectations of what to expect from a 60-year-old man in the ring, so in that sense, it topped my expectations.
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