By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Smash Wrestling “Rebelmania”
Replay available via YouTube.com
April 20, 2025, in Toronto, Ontario at Rebel Night Club
This show was recently posted for free on YouTube. The venue is well-lit, and the action looks great on the screen. The crowd was maybe 400.
1. Psycho Mike Rollins vs. KC Navarro for the Smash Wrestling Title. Mike has a big size advantage. It feels odd to have a company’s title match go on first. (To me, that is an acknowledgement that KC is not a serious contender.) KC avoided tying up; Mike eventually hit a shoulder tackle at 2:30. Navarro hit a dive through the ropes, and they brawled around ringside. Mike repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, slammed KC’s head into the ring apron, to the point this was cartoonish.
In the ring, Navarro hit a dropkick and got a nearfall at 6:00. Mike hit a series of bodyslams, his signature move. Navarro hit a frogsplash for a nearfall at 9:30. He hit a Code Red for a nearfall. Mike hit a brainbuster for the pin. Decent action, but the winner was never once in doubt.
Psycho Mike defeated KC Navarro to retain the Smash Wrestling Title at 11:11.
2. Carter Mason vs. Moose. Mason is a white guy who acts like he’s an urban gangster, and he wears giant chains around his neck, and he’s the “most hated” wrestler in Smash. Moose wore his TNA X Division Title belt, which is not on the line here. The bell rang, and we got a loud “Moose is gonna kill you!” chant. Mason jumped on Moose’s back, but Moose easily flipped him to the mat at 1:30. He hit some chops that caved in Mason’s chest. The size difference here was enormous.
Carter low-bridged the top rope, and Moose fell over the rope to the floor. Carter shoved Moose face-first into the ring post at 3:30. Moose hit a senton. Mason sat on the top turnbuckle; Moose grabbed him and hit a sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall at 7:30. Carter applied a Figure Four, then he hit a superkick. Moose hit a standing powerbomb and his spear for the pin. The winner was never in doubt; with the size difference here, I wouldn’t have minded a three-minute squash.
Moose defeated Carter Mason at 9:11.
3. Mike Santana vs. Johnny DeLuca vs. Tarik vs. Brent Banks in a four-way to become No. 1 contender. This was Santana’s debut in this promotion. “May be no hotter wrestler in all of pro wrestling,” a commentator said. DeLuca has short black hair and basic red trunks; I think I’ve seen him before. I’m more familiar with Banks and Tarik, who have competed here on past shows I’ve watched. (This feels like a reason to let these local guys all get a chance to be in the ring with Santana, and one of them win, but I presume Santana isn’t pinned.) In the opening moments. I didn’t hear the bell so I started the stopwatch at first contact. DeLuca dove onto Tarik and Banks. In the ring, Santana and Tarik traded blows.
Banks hit a Blue Thunder Bomb at 4:00. Santana hit a superkick on DeLuca, then an enzuigiri on Tarik. Tarik and Santana traded forearm strikes at 6:30. Tarik clotheslined Santana for a nearfall at 8:30. In a nice spot, Santana hit a top-rope Blockbuster (which was essentially a tower spot) and everyone was down at 10:30. Santana hit a kip-up stunner. DeLuca hit a missile dropkick and a Lethal Injection on Santana for a nearfall. Tarik hit a backpack stunner on DeLuca. Santana was kicked to the floor. Tarik and Banks were alone in the ring and traded rollups; Tarik got a handful of tights and the cheap pin! Good action.
Tarik defeated Brent Banks, Mike Santana and Johnny DeLuca to become No. 1 contender at 13:14. (I see cagematch.net has this match three minutes longer, which means they stood around and jawed that long before they finally got going. No wonder I missed the bell!)
* Carter Mason attacked Mike Santana from behind. Santana beat up Mason and a sketchy manager figure.
4. Leyla Hirsch vs. Jody Threat. Jody, of course, has the height advantage. They shook hands before locking up. Leyla immediately tied up the left ankle. Jody hit a series of blows in the corner. Leyla hit a basement dropkick in the corner for a nearfall at 3:00. Jody hit a sliding crossbody block for a nearfall. Leyla locked in a cross-armbreaker. Leyla hit a kick against the left elbow. She applied a cross-armbreaker in the ropes at 5:30, then she went to sit in the front row while Jody clutched at her injured arm while seated in the ring.
Leyla got back in and they pushed up against each other, then traded forearm strikes. Jody hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall, and they were both down at 7:30. Leyla hit a German Suplex for a nearfall, but she missed a springboard moonsault. Jody hit an F5 slam for the pin; the ref seemed to not be 100% sure that was the finish, but she awarded the victory to Jody. I really liked this, and I really hope to see a lot more of Leyla on the indy scene.
Jody Threat defeated Leyla Hirsch at 9:12.
5. Jax Williams vs. Vaughn Vertigo. Jax has a scruffy beard and his hair is like Karrion Kross today; he attacked Vaughn as Vertigo entered the ring, and we’re underway. Vaughn hit a huracanrana that sent Jax to the floor. Vaughn took a drink from a fan at ringside but then sprayed it in his face, making clear he’s a heel. (With Jax attacking before the bell, I assumed he was the heel.) They brawled at ringside. In the ring, Jax hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee at 3:30.
Jax got a chain and put Vaughn in a Camel Clutch, putting the chain across Vertigo’s face. (Seriously, who is the babyface here? Do they know, because I don’t!) Vaughn hit him with a cookie sheet. Jax got a chair and he hit Vaughn with it, and he dropped Vaughn across the open chair for a nearfall at 6:00. He got a drink from a fan and poured it down’ Vertigo’s throat. A kid got in the ring, but Vaughn kicked him to the floor.
Vaughn hit a shoulder breaker over his knee at 8:00. Vaughn hit a backbody drop onto a horizontal ladder, then a Swanton Bomb as Jax was still lying on the ladder for a nearfall at 10:00. Jax powerbombed Vaughn onto a pile of folded chairs for a nearfall. Jax placed Vaughn across several open chairs. They fought on the ropes, and Vertigo flipped Jax onto the open chairs, got a rollup, and scored the pin. A decent brawl but neither gave me a reason to cheer for them.
Vaughn Vertigo defeated Jax Williams at 13:33.
6. “Sinner & Saint” Judas Icarus and Travis Williams vs. “Locked & Loaded” Jessie V and Mark Wheeler vs. “Tabarnak de Team” Matthieu St. Jacques and Thomas Dubois in a three-way tag for the Smash Tag Team Titles. All six brawled at the bell, and they all went to the floor and into the crowd. Wheeler chopped Travis as Travis was seated in a chair. One of TDT hit a senton on the floor! One of TDT hit the massive Jessie V with the title belt at 4:30. Sinner & Saint got in the ring and hit stereo dropkicks on Wheeler at 6:00. TDT got in and hit stereo spears on L&L.
TDT hit a team elbow drop on Jessie V for a nearfall. Icarus was thrown over the top rope onto three guys on the floor at 8:00. Jessie hit an impressive dive to the floor on TDT. Travis hit a top-rope back suplex on Wheeler, and Judas immediately hit a frogsplash for a visual pin, but the ref was pulled from the ring. Jessie put both S&S on his shoulders and slammed them both to the mat at 10:00, showing his power. TDT got chairs and began hitting opponents with them. TDT slammed Wheeler onto Jessie in a corner. TDT and S&S got up and traded blows while L&L were on the floor.
S&S hit stereo chokeslams for nearfalls at 12:30! They got a ladder from under the ring, but Wheeler dropkicked it onto them. Jessie hit a coast-to-coast dropkick onto the ladder onto one of TDT. Wheeler clocked S&S with chairshots. However, Sinner & Saint hit their team spin kick-and-Jay Driller combo to pin Wheeler. A really good brawl.
“Sinner & Saint” Judas Icarus & Travis Williams defeated “Locked & Loaded” Jessie V & Mark Wheeler, and “Tabarnak de Team” Matthieu St. Jacques & Thomas Dubois to retain the Smash Tag Team Titles at 14:40.
Final Thoughts: A solid show, and a free show. I enjoyed Santana’s four-way. No, his opponents aren’t well known, but I’ve seen Banks for a few years now — he just participated in the Maple Leaf Pro show last weekend, too. Point being, Santana wasn’t exactly ‘guiding rookies through a match.’ So, that was pretty good. I’m a big fan of Leyla Hirsch, and I think Tony Khan made a mistake in cutting her loose. Her match with Jody Threat was pretty good. The main event three-way was good and took third. The lighting here was good, the overall production was good, and this is worth checking out.
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