By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, TNA, GCW, MLW, and other notable live events or television tapings. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com
Expect The Unexpected Wrestling “Summer Madness”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
July 13, 2025, in Ridgefield Park, N.J., at The Mecca
This show began at 4:15 p.m. Eastern time. This venue is just west of downtown New York City, and the crowd was maybe 160. This show has a particularly strong lineup, so I tuned in live. Jack Solomon and Alyssa Marino provided commentary.
1. Braydon Toon vs. a mystery opponent. Toon was slated to face Conan Lycan, who announced a few days ago that he had to miss the show. Devious Cass, whom I just saw for the first time earlier this month, took Conan’s spot. Jack said Cass is just 18; he’s a slender Black man, so Toon (who I’ve compared to a young Kevin Steen) has a size advantage. Toon hit a backbreaker over his knee. Toon hit another backbreaker over the top turnbuckle, then a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 3:30.
Cass hit a Stundog Millionaire and a modified Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. (I applaud Jack for accurately calling it a Stundog Millionaire, too!) Toon nailed a Buckle Bomb and a rolling Death Valley Driver, then a Lionsault for a nearfall. Cass hit a top-rope corkscrew splash for a believable nearfall at 6:00. Toon hit a second-rope twisting suplex, then a Tiger Driver for the pin. I liked that a lot. For age 18, Cass has pretty good size; he doesn’t look like a scrawny teen. I would have guessed him at a few years older. The crowd gave them a “please come back!” chant.
Brayden Toon defeated Devious Cass at 6:53.
* Backstage, “The Expected” faction of Gabriel Skye, Austin Luke, Matt Mako, and Ikuro Kwon were bickering. They are definitely not on the same page! Kwon and Mako are going to fight each other!
2. Ikuro Kwon vs. Matt Mako in a “Test of Heart” match. The stipulation means no count-outs and no time limits. Kwon shouted at Mako before they locked up, as he’s upset they don’t have the tag titles. They squared up to fight and blocked most of each other’s strikes and kicks; this has an authentic look to it. Suddenly Kwon tackled him, they rolled to the floor at 2:30, and traded blows. Mako sat Kwon in a chair, stood behind him, and applied a sleeper, then he hit a running cannonball against Kwon at 5:00 as Ikuro was still seated, earning a “holy shit!” chant. In the ring, Mako applied a Cattle Mutilation. He switched to a cross-armbreaker; Kwon reached the ropes at 7:00.
Kwon dropped him gut-first on the top rope, then hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Mako nailed a running knee for a believable nearfall at 9:30, and they were both down. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees. Mako applied a rear-naked choke, then a standing powerbomb with a jackknife cover for a believable nearfall. He hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 11:30. Kwon escaped a Razor’s Edge attempt. He kicked out Mako’s elbow. He set up to snap Mako’s head, but stopped. Mako shouted at him to respect him and do it. Kwon responded by crushing Mako’s face with a running knee for the pin. That was really good.
Ikuro Kwon defeated Matt Mako at 13:21.
* In a video she sent in, B3cca said she doesn’t have time to come to EtU to face someone she previously beat, and besides, she’s getting ready for her world tour.
3. Janai Kai vs. Lena Kross. This should be really good. Kross, an Australian, is on an extended stay here, and she’s around 6’2″ with some purple streaks in her dark black hair. She knocked Kai down with a shoulder block. Kai hit a roundhouse kick to the chest, then more in the corner. Kross scooped her up and hit a fallaway slam for a nearfall at 1:30, then a spinning sideslam for a nearfall. She hit a running kick for a nearfall, and she kept Kai grounded.
Kai hit a thrust kick to the throat in the corner and some kicks to the back. Kross fired back with a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 6:30. Lena hit a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall. Kai hit a running kick to the back as Lena was in the ropes, and she got a nearfall, then Kai applied a Dragon Sleeper, and Kross either passed out or tapped out. Good action; I wasn’t prepared for that to be the finish! Jai looked into the camera and taunted B3cca to return and fight her.
Janai Kai defeated Lena Kross at 8:13.
4. “The Expected” Gabriel Skye and Austin Luke vs. Ken Broadway and a mystery partner. Ken came out solo and ran into the ring and fought the heels 1-on-2! The familiar sound of Alec Price’s music played, and he came to the ring to assist Broadway! He immediately dove over the ropes onto the heels. In the ring, Price and Ken hit stereo dropkicks. They beat up Skye in their corner. Price hit a springboard crossbody block at 3:00. Ken hit a flying elbow drop on Skye’s left elbow for a nearfall, and they continued to target Gabriel’s elbow.
Skye choked Broadway in the corner, and the heels suddenly had Ken down on the mat, and they worked him over. Luke locked in a cross-armbreaker on Broadway at 7:00, but Ken powered to his feet and hit a Buckle Bomb to escape. Nice! Ken hit a double back-body drop. Price got the hot tag and hit a top-rope doubestomp onto Skye’s collarbone, then his pop-up dropkick. He hit his springboard Blockbuster on Luke for a nearfall at 8:30. Luke hit a Regal-Plex on Price for a nearfall. The heels hit kicks to Price’s head, and now they worked Alec over in their corner.
Skye hit a corner moonsault to the floor on Ken. In the ring, Luke and Skye hit a Tower of London-and-doublestomp combo for a believable nearfall at 11:00, but Ken made the save. Price and Luke got up and traded forearm strikes, and this has been really good. Luke hit a Rebound Lariat, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Price hit his own Rebound Lariat, and they were both down. Ken powerbombed Skye onto Luke at 13:00. Ken hit a German Suplex on Skye, then a Lungblower on Luke. He hit a Michinoku Driver on Skye for a believable nearfall.
Some music hit, and everyone just stopped. Out came Mako and Kwon. The distraction allowed Luke to hit some kicks on Broadway. Skye choked Broadway. Price suddenly hit a superkick on Broadway! All the heels started laughing. “He knocked his damn block off!” Marino said. Alec hit his step-up mule kick on Ken. Skye covered the prone Broadway for the pin. Good action. I don’t know if The Expected needed a fifth member. The heels kept beating up Broadway after the match.
Gabriel Skye and Austin Luke defeated Alec Price and Ken Broadway at 16:01.
* Price got on the mic and shouted that he has been sidelined by EtU for the whole past year! He vowed that their faction is going to change the face of EtU. Finally, J Bouji and PB Smooth ran to the ring to save Broadway.
* Intermission
5. BK Westbrook vs. Juni Underwood vs. Dezmond Cole vs. Ultra Jaguar in a four-way. Juni wrestled for Wrestling Revolver in Ohio on Thursday, and I noted then that he is seemingly wrestling all over the country; Google maps says that’s about a 9 1/2-hour drive. UJ has been here before; he’s a short, masked guy. Cole is recently back from a leg injury. Juni and Cole opened with the other two on opposite corners, Cole hit a huracanrana. BK dropped Dezmond throat-first on the top rope at 3:00. Juni piled UJ and BK in a corner and hit a basement dropkick on them for a nearfall.
BK tied UJ in a Boston Crab and bent him in half. Cole hit a jumping knee on Juni, then a Helluva Kick. Cole trapped Juni’s head in the corner and kicked his face, then hit a German Suplex for a nearfall at 6:00. UJ hit a tornado DDT. Juni hit a sit-out powerbomb on Jaquar, but Cole hit a Swanton Bomb. Out of nowhere, Cole pinned Juni. That match was fast-paced and energetic.
Dezmond Cole defeated BK Westbrook, Juni Underwood, and Ultra Jaguar at 7:26 in a four-way.
* Dezmond got on the mic and received a “welcome back!” chant. He talked about his knee injury, but said he’s fully back now. He was cut off by Josh Bishop (the Sid Vicious clone), who also spoke on the mic. He said Sam Holloway is injured and not here today. Bishop noted he also just got back from a lengthy injury. He challenged Cole to face him right now!
6. Dezmond Cole vs. Josh Bishop in a Key to the East contender’s match. Bishop has a huge size advantage. Cole hit some chops early on, got a rollup and a nearfall. Cole hit his Splits Stunner. He went for a Lionsault Press, but Bishop caught him and dropped him snake-eyes in the corner at 1:30, then a bodyslam. He hit a chokeslam for a nearfall, and he kept Dezmond grounded. He hit a fallaway slam at 4:00. Cole dropped him, kipped up, and hit a shining wizard for a nearfall. Cole hit multiple Helluva Kicks. Bishop hit a Razor’s Edge for the pin. Good action with a more decisive finish than I expected, but Cole gets an ‘out’ by having just wrestled.
Josh Bishop defeated Dezmond Cole to earn the Key to the East contender’s trophy at 6:14.
7. “Killionaires Club” J Bouji and Pretty Boy Smooth vs. “High-Flying Star Machines” Diego Hill and Bojack for the EtU Atlantic Tag Team Titles. I’m a huge fan of the HFSM; we don’t have enough teams that are different like this — Diego is a slender high-flyer and striker; Bojack is the heavyset brawler. Bojack and the tall PB Smooth opened; I think PB is a legit 6’9″. Diego hit a springboard spin kick on PB. He launched and hit a rolling cannonball in the corner on PB. Bojack grounded PB with a sleeper. Diego hit a LOUD overhand chop at 4:00. Bouji got in and tried to put his arms around Bojack, but couldn’t get connected, and Bojack shoved Bouji to the mat.
It was now Bojack’s turn to unload some LOUD chops on Bouji, then a backbreaker over his knee, and Diego hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall at 6:00. Diego hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall, and the HFSM kept Bouji in their corner. Bojack hit another massive backbreaker over his knee, a Flatliner, and a uranage for a nearfall at 8:30. Diego hit a 619. PB finally got a hot tag at 10:00, and he hit a shoulder block that sent Diego flying. PB swung Diego into Bojack. PB hit a guillotine leg drop. Bojack accidentally hit a senton on Diego! Ouch!
Bouji hit a stunner on Bojack. Bouji caught Diego’s kick attempt and applied a half-crab. Bouji set up for a package piledriver, but he turned it into a powerbomb move on Diego for a nearfall at 12:00. Diego hit a spin kick in the corner on Bouji, then an impressive Swanton Bomb. Diego hit a flip dive to the floor on PB! Meanwhile, Bojack nailed a decapitating clothesline on Bouji for a believable nearfall at 13:30. Ken Broadway appeared at ringside. PB hit a World’s Strongest Slam on the massive Bojack and suddenly everyone was down. Bouji hit a German Suplex on Diego. PB hit him with a punch to the jaw and slammed him to the mat, and Bouji covered him for the pin. That was really good. They shook hands and hugged.
J Bouji and PB Smooth defeated Diego Hill and Bojack to retain the EtU Atlantic Tag Team titles at 15:14.
* Bouji got on the mic and put over Ken Broadway and thanked him for coming to ringside to support them. He said they’ll be co-promoting the show on Sept. 28.
8. Marcus Mathers vs. Joseph “A-Game” Alexander for the IWTV World Title. A-Game (think 20-year-old Jay Lethal) is on fire, after having a lot of success in the Wrestling Open Discovery Gauntlet, until he lost on Thursday. Mathers just lost his EtU title at the last show to Mike Santana, so he’s looking for a bounce-back win. They immediately went to the mat and traded reversals. A-Game slammed him for a one-count at 2:30. They got up and traded loud chops. Mathers hit his mule kick and a running back elbow, a bodyslam, and a guillotine legdrop for a nearfall at 5:00. He hit a dropkick.
Marcus hit a running twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall. He switched to a Rings of Saturn at 7:00, but A-Game got a foot on the ropes. A-Game hit a hard clothesline. Mathers hit a stunner and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 9:00. A-Game hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Marcus hit a running Penalty Kick on the apron, then his Canadian Destroyer in the ring at 11:00. We got a “both these guys!” chant. Mathers jawed at him, suddenly acting more heelish. A-Game got an inside cradle for a nearfall, then another rollup. He nailed a German Suplex.
They traded spin kicks to the head. Mathers hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to the face. A-Game hit his running knee for a nearfall at 14:00. A-Game hit a fadeaway stunner, and he locked in a half-crab. Mathers hit a stunner. A-Game went for another fadeaway stunner, but Mathers clocked him with a forearm strike! Mathers immediately hit a fisherman’s buster for the pin. A really, really good match.
Marcus Mathers defeated Joseph “A-Game” Alexander to retain the IWTV World Title at 15:39.
* Mathers got on the mic and noted he just had a match in Paris on Saturday, and he was thrilled he made it back in time for this show. He said he arrived just 10 minutes before he came to the ring. He said he wanted to face Alexander and put him over as the future of EtU.
9. Mike Santana vs. Calvin Tankman for the Key to the East Title. Love both of these guys. Again, Santana just won this title from Mathers at the last show. Standing switches to open; Santana could barely get his hands around Tankman’s waist. Neither man went down on a shoulder tackle attempt. Mike fell backward to avoid a pop-up spinning back fist at 3:30. They switched to forearm strikes. Santana flipped him to the mat and hit a basement dropkick to the back for a nearfall at 5:00. They took turns hitting loud chops. Mike hit a senton for a nearfall at 7:00. They got up and traded slaps to the face, then back to forearm strikes, and this time, Calvin nailed the spinning back fist.
Calvin hit a wind-up bodyslam and a big splash to the mat for a nearfall at 8:30. He dropped Santana with a clothesline and got booed. He hit some blows to the kidneys, and he took control. He dropped him with a forearm strike at 12:30. Santana fired back with a shotgun dropkick, and they were both down, and the crowd was hot and evenly split. They got back up and traded more forearm strikes and chops. Santana hit an enzuigiri into the corner, then a rolling cannonball for a nearfall at 14:30.
Santana hit a rolling stunner for a nearfall. Tankman avoided the Spin the Block clothesline and hit a backbreaker over his knee and his own clotheslines, then another spinning back fist, a powerbomb, and a diving forearm strike for a believable nearfall at 16:30. Santana caught him and hit a Death Valley Driver, dropping Calvin high on his head and neck! Santana immediately hit the Spin the Block (discus clothesline) for the pin. That was really good, too!
Mike Santana defeated Calvin Tankman to retain the EtU Key to the East Title at 17:22.
* Mike got on the mic, and he put over Tankman. He said he told the promoter he wanted to go up against the very best, and that includes guys like Calvin. They then hugged to conclude the show.
Final Thoughts: Two tremendous matches to conclude the show. Mathers-Santana was so stellar last month (I’m still saying it’s my indy match of the year), so I didn’t think either would lose this month. That was the only flaw of two really good main events here, as I never really thought either Tankman or A-Game were winning their respective match. I’ll narrowly take Mathers vs. A-Game over Santana-Tankman, but I wouldn’t argue with anyone else who preferred the final match.
Bouji/Smooth vs. Diego/Bojack was really good for a distant third. A lot to like here. As I’ve seen an A-Game match every week for the past two months, it has really dawned on me that the young Jay Lethal comparison is appropriate. And I don’t know how many matches the young Devious Cass has had, but I’ll reiterate that he has a good frame and overall size for someone who is just 18.
I’ll note that Bojack, Diego, and BK drove up to New Jersey from North Carolina, at the same time the Miracle Generation went from New England down to NC for a Deadlock Pro show that day. It just shows the wrestlers are willing to travel for new opportunities in front of new crowds against different opponents. Again, I watched this live; it should hopefully be posted on IWTV on Monday or soon after that.
Be the first to comment