By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Awesome Championship Wrestling “Fallout”
July 25, 2025, in Poughkeepsie, New York, at the MJN Convention Center
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
Poughkeepsie is located about two hours straight north of New York City. Dave Sturchio and Josh Shernoff provided commentary. The lighting was good, and this had above-average production for an indy promotion. The lights were low over the crowd; Cagematch.net lists the crowd size at 800, and I guess I can’t dispute that too much.
* The show opened with a nice video package set to “Bad Luck” by We Came As Romans, then “Heavy is the Crown” by the revamped female-led Linkin Park. As you would expect, a lot of ECW names are here. I liked the time and effort put into this video.
1. Real1 (f/k/a Enzo Amore) vs. Zack Clayton for the ACW National Title. Real1 came out first and cut a babyface promo. Zack has tied his hair darker; the last time I saw him, he had a lot of gray coming through. He has a big height and overall size advantage over Enzo. Before the bell, they announced we have a special ringside enforcer… Tommy Dreamer! Zack was not happy about this development. Zack stalled on the apron before he finally got in and locked up. Zack easily knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. Enzo hit a dropkick.) They went to the floor, where Zack crotched Real1 over a guardrail, then rolled him into the ring and got a nearfall at 3:30.
Zack hit a sidewalk slam and stayed in charge. Enzo tried a top-rope crossbody block, but Zack caught him and hit a fallaway slam for a nearfall at 5:30. They went to the floor, right where Dreamer was seated. Enzo shoved Clayton into the ring post. In the ring, Enzo hit a second-rope leaping DDT for a nearfall at 7:30. Clayton hit a spear into the corner, then another. Zack went to the floor again, where he clocked Dreamer and got booed. He grabbed the title belt and brought it into the ring. Dreamer reached into the ring and confiscated the belt. It allowed Enzo to hit an Eat D’Feat for the pin. Fairly standard match, but the crowd was into it.
Real1 defeated Zack Clayton to retain the ACW National Title at 10:13.
2. Tina San Antonio vs. Lena Kross. Australia native Kross is a legit 6’1″ and just towers over most of her opponents; she has some purple streaks in her dark hair. Tina is older — certainly at least in her 30s — and I’ve seen her 5-10 times, and she’s dressed in a full ‘cowgirl’ outfit today. Lena dropped to a knee to mockingly lock up in a test of strength. They briefly fought on the floor. Back in the ring, Tina got some rollups and a bulldog at 2:00. Lena slapped her in the face and took control. She hit a fallaway slam at 3:30, then a running kick in the corner, and she tied Tina up on the mat. Tina hit a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall at 7:00. Kross hit a hard running knee for a nearfall. Tina got a rollup for a nearfall. Kross hit a neckbreaker over her knee for the pin.
Lena Kross defeated Tina San Antonio at 8:37.
3. “The Hunter” AJZ vs. Sidney Akeem. My first time seeing AJZ; he is muscular and absolutely ripped, and has a necklace that makes me think of Marvel’s “Kraven the Hunter.” His overall look makes me think of Clark Connors. They locked up, and AJZ easily shoved Akeem to the mat. Sidney hit a dropkick and a powerslam, then a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 2:00. AJZ hit a clothesline to the back of the head but only got a one-count. He whipped Akeem into the corner and raised his arms and celebrated, and got massive boos.
Akeem hit his twisting crossbody block at 5:30, and that got a pop. He hit his step-up mule kick and a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes. AJZ hit a slingshot DDT for a believable nearfall at 7:30, and he was frustrated he didn’t win there. “I do not know what to make of this guy. I’m enthralled,” a commentator said. Akeem hit the Final Act (double backflip into a stunner) for the pin. Definitely an intriguing showing by AJZ… that’s quite a physique on the kid. His cagematch.net bio shows he’s competed a lot in OVW and was recently one of Mustafa Ali’s henchmen in a TNA TV match.
Sidney Akeem defeated AJZ at 8:03.
4. Danny Doring (w/Mike Gallagher) vs. Parker Boudreaux. Doring took forever to get to the ring, as he stopped and jawed at fans. Gallagher got on the mic and told the crowd that it’s the “biggest congregation of trailer trash I’ve ever seen.” After far too much time on the mic by the heels, Parker came to the ring. It’s been a few months since I’ve seen Parker; I think the last time was a show from Japan. “He is stacked on stacked,” a commentator said. This should be a squash! The crowd was 100% behind Parker. Danny knocked him down and celebrated and jawed at the crowd. Parker got up, chokeslammed him, and got the pin. That’s what it should have been.
Parker Boudreaux defeated Danny Doring at 1:46.
* Parker hit a second chokeslam after the bell. A bunch of security hit the ring, but Parker beat them all up, too.
* Carlito is here and he’s issued an open challenge! I have avoided all details of this show, so I have no idea who is coming out. He returned to the back because he wanted his WWE entrance, where the voiceover says, “I spit in the face of people who don’t want to be cool.” He made the open challenge to anyone, “except that Parker guy. He looks a bit scary.” That got a laugh. Brian Myers answered the call! However, before we got a bell, the young heel Leo Sparrow came out. I’ve seen him a few times now (he had a really short AEW TV match). Leo got on the mic and said he had a problem with Carlito! Leo said that Carlito isn’t cool… saving the earth is cool! Eating Vegan food is cool! He got booed. “You know what else isn’t cool? Getting fired by the WWE.” That drew a crowd reaction. He said Myers would know something about that, too!
5. Carlito vs. Brian Myers vs. Leo Sparrow. Myers and Carlito took turns punching the kid, then they tossed Leo to the floor before the adults locked up. Carlito hit a dropkick on Myers. Leo reached into the ring, tripped Carlito, and pulled him to the floor. Myers suplexed Leo into the ring. Leo and Myers hit double clotheslines at 4:00, and everyone was down. Carlito went to the top rope, teased a moonsault, thought better of it, and climbed back down. Funny. Everyone traded punches. Myers hit a spear on Carlito for a nearfall. Myers hit a faceplant on Sparrow. Leo got his bag of kale. However, Carlito came up behind Leo, spat apple bites all over Leo’s face, and hit the Backstabber (lungblower) for the pin on Sparrow. Not particularly good but the crowd enjoyed it.
Carlito defeated Leo Sparrow and Brian Myers in a three-way at 6:27.
* The cameras focused on the guy who was sweeping up the apples and kale in the ring, and you knew something was up. Sure enough, “Sent 2 Slaughter” Danny Maff and Shawn Donovan (w/Josh Shernoff) came to the ring to “Bad Company” by Five Finger Death Punch. They are the tag champs here. They got in the ring and attacked the custodian and got booed.
6. “Sent 2 Slaughter” Danny Maff and Shawn Donovan (w/Josh Shernoff) vs. Crowbar and Kerr (w/Vanessa) in a no-DQ match for the ACW Tag Team Titles. Kerr is a massive, rotund guy with a lot of gray in his beard; he might be in his 40s; his cagematch.net bio said he’s 429 pounds. They all brawled at ringside. They whacked each other with trash can lids and chairs. In the ring, Kerr hit a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall. Kerr flipped Maff off the top rope to the mat. This was bowling-shoe ugly, as Jim Ross would say. Shernoff got in the ring, got on the mic, and boasted about how good his team is. The crowd chanted “asshole!” at him.
Shernoff called Vanessa into the ring. He bad-mouthed her, so she hit a low blow on him. She hit a stunner on Maff, then one on Donovan. Crowbar hit a cane-assisted Russian Legsweep for a nearfall at 7:30. The challengers beat up the bald Alexander and placed him on a horizontal guardrail bridge. Kerr flipped Crowbar onto Alexander and got a nearfall, but Maff made the save at 9:00. The champs powerbombed Kerr through a table on the floor. In the ring, Alexander hit a DDT on Crowbar. Maff powerbombed Crowbar onto the horizontal guardrail bridge for the pin. Oof. Watching Maff and Kerr — a couple of immobile big guys in their 40s or 50s waddle around the ring — was not pretty wrestling.
Danny Maff and Shawn Donovan defeated Kerr and Crowbar to retain the ACW Tag Team Titles at 11:37.
* “The Now” Vik Dalishus and Hale Collins hit the ring and beat up Maff and Donovan. Vik Dalishus got on the mic and he challenged the champs to a match on the next show here on Oct. 18… in a ladder match!
7. Dante Casanova vs. Mike Santana. I saw Dante here on their last show; he wore an Aztec Warrior traditional outfit. Santana, of course, came out through the crowd. The commentators certainly seemed to think Santana was going to win the TNA Title two days later. Standing switches to open; Dante might have a size and strength advantage. Santana did a fireman’s carry. He rolled to the floor and signed some autographs, which infuriated Dante. Back in the ring, they traded armdrags, and this is already better than anything else on the show so far, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Santana hit a dropkick.
They fought to the floor, where Dante hit a superkick at 3:30. Santana hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor. In the ring, Santana hit some rolling suplexes for a nearfall. Casanova hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 7:30, and they fought again to the floor. In the ring, Santana hit a superplex to the mat, and they were both down at 9:00. He hit an enzuigiri and a rolling cannonball in the corner for a nearfall. Santana nailed a kip-up stunner for a nearfall. Dante avoided the Spin the Block (discus clothesline) and he slammed Santana’s head into the mat, and got a nearfall. Santana nailed the Spin the Block and got the pin. Good match.
Mike Santana defeated Dante Casanova at 11:28.
8. Indi Hartwell vs. “Vicious” Vicki Venuto for the ACW Women’s Title. I have seen Venuto just once before, on the last show I saw here. She has long brown hair and appears to be of average size. Indi reluctantly shook hands, and they traded reversals on the mat. Indi hit a big boot that knocked Vicki off the apron to the floor. Indi hit some chops against the guardrail at 1:30. In the ring, Vicki hit her own loud chops, and they brawled. Indi hit a spinebuster for a nearfall at 7:00. Indi hit a Jade Cargill-style faceplant for the pin. Good action.
Indi Hartwell defeated Vicki Venuto to retain the ACW Women’s Title at 8:32.
* Vampiro appeared in a video, saying he’ll be at the Oct. 18 show.
9. Richard Holliday vs. Matt Riddle for the WCW Men’s Title. Holliday was greeted with loud boos, and he rolled to the floor at the bell to stall. In the ring, Riddle went for an RKO, but Holliday pushed Matt away. They tied up in a knuckle lock. Riddle went for a cross-armbreaker, but Holliday quickly got to the ropes at 3:00. Holliday snapped Matt’s throat over the top rope, and he took control. Riddle hit a gutwrench suplex, and he went for a senton at 6:00, but Holliday got his knees up. Holliday stomped on Riddle and kept him grounded. He hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 8:00.
Riddle hit a German Suplex, and they were both down. Matt hit an Exploder Suplex and a running penalty kick, and this time he hit the senton, then a brainbuster for a nearfall at 9:30. He missed a moonsault, but he went to a Triangle Choke and switched to a cross-armbreaker, but Holliday reached the ropes. Holliday hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 11:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down. Holliday hit a German Suplex but Riddle rotated and landed on his feet. Holliday hit the 2008 spinning suplex for a believable nearfall at 13:00. Holliday was angry at the ref and intentionally hit a low blow uppercut on the ref!
Holliday pounded on the mat, pretending to be Randy Orton, but he couldn’t hit an RKO. Riddle hit a powerslam. Riddle put Holliday’s feet on the ropes and hit a DDT, and now he did the Orton-style pounding of the mat, but he also couldn’t hit an RKO. Holliday hit a low blow uppercut and another 2008 twisting suplex. A new ref made a two-count. Riddle hit a jumping knee. Riddle finally hit the RKO for the pin! New champion! The crowd popped as Riddle was announced as the new champion at 16:13. BUT WAIT… yeah, you saw this coming… the original ref disqualified Holliday for the low blow earlier in the match.
Matt Riddle defeated Richard Holliday via DQ at 16:13; Holliday retains the title.
* On the video screen, Matt Cardona challenged Richard Holliday to a rematch. Then we had a separate video, and it’s Nic Nemeth, and he wants a match, too! Nic doesn’t care if it’s a three-way or a four-way.
Final Thoughts: A mixed bag. First, the good — this is a high-quality production, and it’s easy to see and take in the action. The crowd was large, hot, and into what they saw. Despite the obvious way the match was ending, Riddle-Holliday was really good and earned the best match of the night. Santana had a good match with the relatively unknown Casanova, and that took second. I also liked the Akeem-AJZ match for third. Again, AJZ is no rookie – his bio shows he’s been a regular in OVW, but I don’t watch that promotion. Both Indi and Lena looked good as well.
Definitely a few negatives. That Danny Maff tag match was rough viewing and sluggish. While I wouldn’t say Myers-Carlito-Sparrow was ‘bad’ per se, it certainly didn’t reach my expectations, either. I’m not sure why they are having Doring wrestle… even in a short squash loss.
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