By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Chicago Style Wrestling “As Good As Dead”
February 21, 2025 in Franklin Park, Illinois at VFW Post 5040
Available for streaming via Independentwrestling.tv
This is their usual venue and there are perhaps 200 fans packed in this room. It has a pitched roof so plenty of room for the high-flyers.
1. “Machine 17” Nathan Nile and KJ Carter (w/Haven Harris) vs. Chris Miller and FXB. Miller is the tall Sami Callihan-style brawler. My first time seeing the scrawny Machine 17 duo; Nile wore a mask. Miller and FXB were arguing before the bell. FXB walked the ropes and dropkicked Nile at 2:00, and the heels worked Nile over. Suddenly, Missa Kate hopped in the ring and attacked all four, causing a draw. (Last month, Kate was attacked by babyfaces who turned heel by beating her up.)
Nathan Nile and KJ Carter vs. Chris Miller and FXB ended in a no contest at 3:32.
* Kate got on the mic and talked about what happened last month, when Marshe Rockett beat her up. Kate said she considered him a father figure. “You don’t like me because I got a contract before you could?” she asked. The commentators loved some of her pointed jabs that “she’s accomplished more in six years than he has in 20.” The crowd chanted, “Let it out!” She wanted to fight Rockett and Steve Boz and called for them to come out, but neither did.
* Next up is Bruss Hamilton’s open challenge. Again, Bruss is a WIDE muscular body; think WWE’s Otis, but taller. “He’s the worst version of an Irish bouncer you’ve ever seen,” a commentator said. Someone needs to last just three minutes with him! He came out first and demanded silence! He issued the open challenge. A kid named Joey Pierson came out. He’s 160 pounds and probably 18-22 years old. “Joey is about to become a stain on the mat,” a commentator said.
2. Bruss Hamilton vs. Joey Pierson. Bruss easily tossed the kid around the ring. He applied a standing Million Dollar Dream, and Pierson passed out. Pretty straight-forward squash.
Bruss Hamilton defeated Joey Pierson at 1:36.
3. Rafael Quintero vs. JJ Garrett for the CSW Metra Division title. Garrett usually looks like a 1992 Scott Steiner clone, but he’s changed up his look today. Quintero has had a nice string of good matches here. The bell rang, but Victor Inestra came to ringside; he is still injured from a violent ladder match in December, and he joined commentary. JJ and Quintero finally locked up at 1:00 and they traded basic reversals early on. The lights briefly went out but came back on, and Quintero hit a dive to the floor at 4:00. In the ring, JJ suplexed him into the turnbuckles and he kept Quintero grounded. Quintero hit some flying forearms and a powerbomb move for a nearfall at 7:30. They fought on the ropes, where Garrett hit a sunset flip bomb for a nearfall. JJ hit a doublestomp move to the head and got a nearfall at 10:00. Quintero hit a Lungblower, then a top-rope elbow drop for the pin. Good action.
Rafael Quintero defeated JJ Garrett to retain the CSW Metra Division title at 10:57.
4. Eric Schultz and Jax Johnson vs. Jack Valor and Eddie Grayson. Valor and Grayson are scrawny white kids, and may both still be teens. Jax is a Black man with short dreadlocks, while Schulz reminds me of NXT’s Luca Crucafino; he dresses like a mob loss lawyer and wears a tie. The lights went out again as the kids walked to the ring but the power returned right at the bell. Jax opened with Grayson, who wears an amateur wrestling singlet. Valor entered and hit a Lionsault. Schultz got in and a commentator called him a scumbag attorney, and he choked Valor with the suspender on his shirt, and he gave the kid a papercut in his mouth.
Grayson got the hot tag at 5:30 and cleared the ring. He hit a spear for a nearfall. Valor got pushed to the floor, where he crashed into the guardrail. Schultz got a briefcase, but he swung and accidentally hit teammate Jax! The kids immediately hit a team German Suplex-and-clothesline combo and pinned Schultz. Solid match. The kids are green but talented. Schultz kept beating up the kids with his briefcase after the bell. Jax shoved Schultz and gave his tag partner a tombstone piledriver! Jax then shook the hands of the kids.
Jack Valor and Eddie Grayson defeated Eric Schultz and Jax Johnson at 8:11.
5. “Warhorse” Jake Parnell (w/Shain Boucher, Shazza McKenzie) vs. Axel Rico. Jake got on the mic and told the crowd that “none of you matter.” He sent Shazza and Shain to the back! Axel has the big poofy hair like No Way Jose, and he hit some chops early on. Jake hit a German Suplex at 1:30. They brawled to the floor and traded chops in front of the fans. Axel hit a dive through the ropes at 4:30. He dove off the top rope and over the guardrail, crashing onto Jake and earning a “holy shit!” chant.
In the ring, Axel hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 6:30. Jake hit a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall. Axel hit a dropkick. Axel hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:30. Jake tied him up in a sleeper on the mat. Doom Montgomery appeared at ringside and he threw in the towel, ending the match. The commentators agreed that Axel Rico wouldn’t have wanted the towel thrown in, and he would have wanted to try to keep fighting.
“Warhorse” Jake Parnell defeated Axel Rico at 10:57.
6. Adam Stallion and Cypher vs. “Fly Def” Warren J and Zack Zilla for the CSW Tag Team Titles. Fly Def are Texas-based stars and this is their debut here; I’ve liked what I’ve seen from them in the past. Cypher is really tall and dresses like 1995 Diesel. Stallion opened with Warren J. Cypher entered at 2:30 and hit a spear into the corner and a bodyslam on the short-haired Zack. Zilla tried some chops that Cypher no-sold, and Cypher caved in Zack’s chest with his own chops. Zilla hit a clothesline to the back of Stallion’s head and the Texas duo took control. Zack locked in a half-crab at 6:30.
Cypher got the hot tag and hit a spinebuster on one opponent, then a Black Hole Slam on the other. Stallion hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Cypher and Stallion argued! Fly Def hit a team slam on Stallion for a nearfall, but Cypher made the save. Cypher chokeslammed Warren, then he hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Zack for the pin. Fly Def really looked good here; I’m not sold on the Chicago champs, though.
Adam Stallion and Cypher defeated Warren J and Zack Zilla to retain the CSW Tag Team Titles at 9:51.
7. Shain Boucher vs. Jay Marston vs. Solomon Tupu in a three-way street fight. The commentators were perplexed when this was announced as a three-way, saying “card is subject to change” and they wondered who is missing tonight; it’s Shane Hollister who is absent. Marston and Tupu have usually teamed up. Boucher is the Lash LaRoux-style Cajun. Tupu always reminds me of Bronson Reed, but not as wide. Shain had a crutch, but he rolled to the floor at the bell. Jay and Solomon cornered him against a wall and they worked together to beat up Shain. They dragged Boucher to ringside, where Tupu pushed him into the ring post at 2:00, and the crowd was enjoying watching heel Boucher get beat down.
In the ring, Boucher had a kendo stick and he repeatedly whipped each of the babyfaces. Tupu hit a dropkick into the corner and a rolling cannonball on Shain at 4:30. The babyfaces both tried to get the cover and they argued for the first time about it. Marston hit Shain across the back with the kendo stick, then he gave the weapon to Tupu, so he could hit Shain! Boucher went for a missile dropkick but the babyfaces sidestepped it, and he crashed to the mat, earning some chuckles from the crowd. Shain hit a top-rope doublestomp. Tupu again got the kendo stick and hit Shain with it, then bodyslammed him for a nearfall at 8:00.
Tupu and Marston began shoving each other! They traded punches! Shain swung a chair but it ricocheted off the top rope and onto his forehead. (We see this happen all the time but this may be the best I’ve ever seen it look!) All three were down at 9:30. They all sat down on chairs and traded punches. “This is the most violent game of duck-duck-goose I’ve ever seen,” a commentator said. Shain slammed Marston for a nearfall. Chairs and a table were pushed into the ring. Marston powerbombed Tupu, then hit a Mafia Kick on him at 14:00. Boucher went for a Swanton Bomb but his opponents moved and he crashed on some open chairs. Warhorse jumped in the ring and hit a clothesline on Marston! Tupu hit some German Suplexes on Shain. He hit a Death Valley Driver onto a table in the corner and scored the pin. Good brawl; these three work well together.
Solomon Tupu defeated Shain Boucher and Jay Marston in a three-way at 16:29.
* Warhorse returned to ringside and shouted at the prone Boucher, saying he “handed him the match on a silver platter and you failed.” Warhorse announced that the Gatekeepers faction is over. He said he hopes he never sees Shain again!
8. Aminah Belmont vs. Haven Harris vs. Blair Onyx vs. Shazza McKenzie vs. Lili La Pescadita in a five-way for the CSW Women’s Title. My first time seeing Haven; she’s a slender Black woman with long dreadlocks; think Alicia Keys. The others are all regulars here. Blair was back in her all-black gear, not her red-and-blue Spider-Woman gear. The champ Aminah came out last and demanded the crowd thank her for putting together this match. The bell rang and everyone surrounded Belmont and stomped on her. Haven is the tallest woman in the match, but probably only 5’8″ or 5’9″. Blair tied up Shazza in the ropes. Lili hit a dive to the floor on Aminah and Haven. In the ring, Lili hit some jab punches on Belmont.
Blair applied a double Muta Lock on Lili and Belmont at 3:30. Lili hit some loud chops on Shazza. Haven was on the bottom of a tower spot in the corner, slamming two women to the mat, then she hit a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall at 5:30, but the ref was pulled to the floor. Lili hit a Death Valley Driver on Blair. Belmont hit a Lungblower on Lili. Belmont hit springboard Sliced Bread on Haven and pinned her. Good action; I liked what I saw of Haven, and I wish this had gone longer.
Aminah Belmont defeated Haven Harris, Blair Onyx, Shazza McKenzie, and Lili La Pescadita in a five-way to retain the CSW Women’s Title at 7:18.
9. Rhino vs. Hans Carden. Carden is tall and reminds me of former NXT wrestler Von Wagner. A nice pop for the ageless Rhino, who is giving up some height here. An intense lockup to open, and Rhino worked over the left arm. They went to the floor at 4:00, where Rhino suplexed him onto the bare floor. In the ring, Carden sidestepped a Gore attempt, and he went for his finisher, the half-crab, but Rhino avoided it. They went back to the floor, where Hans shoved Rhino face-first into the ring post at 6:30. Back in the ring, Hans worked over Rhino’s left leg, softening him up for the half-crab. Rhino fired up and hit some running back elbows, then a belly-to-belly suplex at 9:00. Hans hit a chop block, and he applied the half-crab. Hans argued with the ref; he turned around and was cut in half by a Gore for the pin. This went exactly as you’ imagine.
Rhino defeated Hans Carden at 10:40.
* Hans continued to beat on Rhino after the match, until Rafael Quintero made the save. Quintero got on the mic and challenged Hans to a match next month.
10. Conan Lycan vs. Marshe Rockett (w/Steve Boz) for the CSW Heavyweight Title. Again, Rockett and Boz just turned heel last month with their shocking attack on Missa Kate. Conan is back in action after being out with an injury. Basic brawling early on, and Marshe knocked him down with a clothesline at 3:00. The ref ejected Boz for trying to interfere. Marshe shoved Conan into the ring post, and Lyan fell to the floor at 6:30. In the ring, Rockett kept him grounded, and the commentators wondered where Missa Kate is and if she’ll get involved. (I think the whole crowd is aware this won’t end before Kate gets involved!)
Marshe hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 10:00. He hit a spear for a nearfall. Conan fired up and hit some clotheslines and a standing powerbomb at 13:00, then a rolling Death Valley Driver and a second-rope moonsault for a nearfall. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down. They traded forearm strikes as they got up. Marshe accidentally speared the ref! Conan hit a standing powerbomb, then a top-rope 450 Splash for a visual pin at 16:00, but we had no ref. Boz returned to the ring and hit a low blow and a swinging faceplant on Conan, and he pulled Rockett onto Lycan for a nearfall. Missa Kate finally hit the ring and took a chair from Boz. However, a masked man took the chair from her, and he struck Conan on the top of the head with it! Marshe hit a stunner and pinned Lycan! New champ!
Marshe Rockett defeated Conan Lycan to win the CSW Heavyweight Title at 17:54.
The masked man was revealed to be TJ Steel, and he hugged Boz and Rockett. They celebrated with the belt and they hit Lycan some more. Kate jumped back in and attacked Rockett, but Steel and Boz pulled her off of him and held her arms. Rockett slammed the chair on Lycan’s ankle while she was being held back and couldn’t stop him.
Final Thoughts: A solid show. I liked the Tupu-Boucher-Marston three-way for best match. I’ll go with Quintero-Garrett for second place, ahead of the main event. The main event angle has been well done, and I always say that Missa Kate is presented as a tough-as-nails competitor, but Marshe is a big man, perhaps 6’4″ and maybe 280 pounds, and I just won’t find it believable if she fights him to an even match. The youngsters of Grayson and Valor continue to impress, even as they are beat up most of their matches. Cypher has the size but his movements feel awkward, as if he still hasn’t fully adjusted to being as big and tall as he is.
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