By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Empire State Wrestling “Blissmas”
December 14, 2024 in Buffalo, New York at Buffalo RiverWorks
Released December 24, 2024 on the ESW YouTube Page
The venue is an indoor mall, and I’ve seen shows from here before. The crowd is several hundred; it is WELL attended. The lights were on and this looks good. Rob Sanderson and “Superbeast” provided commentary. This is both a wrestling show and a music festival; a stage with drums, etc., is set up across from the main stage. Sanderson said eight bands will play after the wrestling ends.
* We had an opening segment that established the main event will be “The Righteous” Dutch and Vincent vs. The Butcher and Kevin Blackwood. Based on comments made during the show, I don’t think any matches were announced in advance — just some of the wrestlers who would appear.
1. Myung-Jae Lee vs. Vince Valor vs. Channing Decker vs. Matt Cross vs. Ricky Shane Page in a five-way scramble. Cross (a/k/a M-Dogg 20) is a two-decade veteran, and he opened with the pink-clad Decker (think Joey Ryan). Valor is bald and thick (think WWE’s Erik/Ray Rowe.) Lee hit a plancha onto several guys at 1:30. Meanwhile, RSP was choking Cross against the guardrail. In the ring, RSP threw Lee across the ring. They did a tower spot out of the corner at 4:30 and all five were down. Lee hit a running knee on RSP, and Cross hit a Lethal Injection. Decker hit a flying crossbody block for a nearfall. Lee hit a suplex on Decker for a believable nearfall at 6:30. Valor hit a DDT for the pin. Decent action.
Vince Valor defeated Myung-Jae Lee, Channing Decker, Matt Cross, and Ricky Shane Page in a five-way scramble at 6:57.
2. Junior Benito vs. Bryan Keith. Keith attacked before the bell and stomped on Benito and was loudly booed. Benito fired up and stomped on Keith in the corner, then some deep armdrags at 1:30 and a slingshot senton. Keith choked him in the ropes. Benito fired up and hit some kicks and a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 5:00. He hit a superkick but missed a frogsplash. Keith immediately hit the Emerald Tiger Driver (butterfly powerbomb) for the pin. Good action; they did a lot in a match that short.
Bryan Keith defeated Junior Benito at 6:06.
3. Nyla Rose vs. Christina Marie. Marie has had a few AEW/ROH TV matches and I’ve liked what I’ve seen from her; she flexed her arms to show off her biceps. However, Rose has the clear size advantage. Sanderson said they’ve fought in the past. A handshake and a tie-up, but then Rose slapped her in the face, and choked Marie in the ropes. A stiff forearm dropped Marie for a nearfall at 2:30. She hit a sideslam and got the crowd to chant “one more time!” Marie fired up and hit a Stinger Splash and a bulldog for a nearfall at 4:00. Marie applied a Camel Clutch, but Rose reached the ropes.
Nyla hit a Stinger Splash and a release German Suplex, tossing Christina across the ring. Nyla missed a rolling cannonball at 5:30. Christina hit a top-rope superplex and got a believable nearfall. Nyla hit a pop-up stunner move for the clean pin. Good action.
Nyla Rose defeated Christina Marie at 7:34.
4. Evil Uno vs. Orange Cassidy. Uno offered a handshake but then withdrew it. Uno once again is dressed like Mankind in a white T-shirt and black tie. Uno again offered, but this time, Orange put his hands in his pockets … and got a “holy shit!” chant. (Pro wrestling is the best!) Orange threw a (soft!) shoulder tackle, then hit his shotgun dropkick while the hands were in his pocket. However, Dexter Doom, James Stone, and Big Dan hit the ring and attacked both of them.
Evil Uno vs. Orange Cassidy went to a draw/no contest at 3:34.
* Lucky 13 and Ultramantis Black came to the ring and attacked Stone and Doom. Which led us to…
5. Orange Cassidy, Lucky 13, Ultramantis Black vs. Evil Uno, Big Dan, James Stone, and Dexter Doom. No one ever really said that this was being re-started as a multi-man match. Orange hit a top-rope splash onto some guys. He hit some slow motions slaps on Dan. Uno hit a low blow on Orange, then on Ultramantis Black. The commentators noted it appears we have a 4-on-3 match. However, Santa Claus (400-pounder Puf) came to the ring in a red outfit but made no effort to conceal who he is. Puf hit a double clothesline and some chokeslams. Uno hit a low blow on Puf; he got on the mic but the crowd shouted him down. Uno said Buffalo is a third-rate city which of course drew boos. Cassidy hit the Orange Punch while Evil Uno was still speaking on the mic and pinned Uno.
Orange Cassidy, Lucky 13, Ultramantis Black, and Puf defeated Evil Uno, Big Dan, James Stone, and Dexter Doom at about 6:00.
6. Daniel Garcia vs. Kubes. Kubes came out first and berated the crowd. He said he wants the best that Buffalo has to offer. The crowd popped when Garcia came out. (Like I said, matches weren’t announced in advance.) Garcia wore his TNT Title. Kubes bailed to the floor at the bell and the crowd taunted him with a “Danny’s gonna kill you!” chant. Kubes got into the ring and shoved Garcia; Daniel hit him with a loud chop that had Kubes bent over in pain, and he went back to the floor. Garcia followed and beat him up at ringside. As they got back into the ring, Kubes kicked the ropes at 4:00 to crotch Garcia, and he began stomping on Danny.
Garcia fired up and hit some punches. He hit a running back elbow to the chin at 6:30; this crowd was hot and fully behind Garcia. He hit a twisting neckbreaker out of the ropes for a nearfall. Garcia nailed a top-rope superplex at 8:30 for a believable nearfall. He hit some clotheslines. Kubes hit a Mafia Kick but Garcia dropped him with a clothesline. Kubes applied a Sharpshooter, but Garcia escaped, got a rollup and a nearfall. Kubes hit a suplex. Garcia hit a jumping piledriver for a believable nearfall. Garcia applied his own Sharpshooter and leaned back for added pressure, and Kubes quickly tapped out. Entertaining.
Daniel Garcia defeated Kubes at 11:13.
7. Kevin Blackwood and The Butcher vs. “The Righteous” Vincent and Dutch. Blackwood just returned from a Japan tour. Butcher came out last. Kevin and Vincent opened. Kevin hit some clotheslines and body blows, then a doublestomp on the chest at 2:00. Vincent tossed Kevin to the floor, where Dutch beat him up. Butcher got the hot tag and the crowd chanted “Andy’s gonna kill you!” as Butcher stood toe-to-toe with Dutch, and they traded blows. Dutch knocked him down with a shoulder tackle at 4:00. Butcher hit a scoop bodyslam. The heels began working over Butcher in their corner and kept him grounded.
Butcher hit a big side slam on Dutch at 8:00 but he couldn’t tag out. He finally hit a big back bodydrop on Dutch. Kevin got the hot tag and hit some chops on Vincent, then an Exploder Suplex. He flipped Vincent onto Dutch in the corner, then he nailed a brainbuster on Vincent, and a dropkick that sent Vincent to the floor. Meanwhile, Butcher and Dutch were alone in the ring and they traded punches to the jaw. Dutch nailed a Black Hole Slam at 11:00. Butcher hit a backbreaker over his knee. Vincent hit a Swanton Bomb on Blackwood. Butcher hit some Mafia Kicks on Dutch. Kevin hit a top-rope doublestomp. Butcher hit a powerslam and pinned Dutch. Good action. The Righteous kept fighting after the bell, so Butcher hit a guillotine leg drop on Vincent.
* Butcher got on the mic and called Blade to the ring and threw his arm around him, and said Blade is “dedicated to his craft,” adding that it’s been a year (since they tagged.)
Kevin Blackwood and The Butcher defeated Dutch and Vincent at 15:18.
Final Thoughts: A fun, free show. The matches were a bit on the short side, which is fine, as I presume a lot of spectators here are casual fans, or not wrestling fans at all but were there for the music to follow. So, they did a good job of putting on a show that would appeal to the masses and not just a niche crowd of 300 who might want to see longer matches with bigger spots.
This is an easy watch, coming in at just 95 minutes.
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