By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Beyond Wrestling “Bound For The Floor”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
October 12, 2025, in Lowell, Massachusetts, at Taffeta Music Hall
This is a dark club, but the ring was lit okay; I’ve seen shows from this venue before. Sadly, the crowd was only about 100. Joey T and promoter Drew “Denver Colorado” Cordeiro provided commentary. This was an afternoon show; Cordeiro indicated that the TNA PPV that evening was at a nearby venue. This show was released on Monday on IWTV.
* The event features an eight-man tournament of technical, mat-based wrestlers. The tournament winner gets an IWTV Title shot.
1. Timothy Thatcher vs. Drew Gulak in a first-round tournament match. Cordeiro said that even with them both being in the WWE system, they haven’t wrestled each other in a singles match since 2016, which is rather mind-blowing. They tied up on the mat, taking turns tying up legs. Thatcher applied a cross-armbreaker at 4:00. Thatcher pulled on Gulak’s arms while pushing his feet on Gulak’s shoulders. Gulak applied an ankle lock at 8:00. Thatcher dropped him with a European Uppercut, and he tied Gulak in a bow-and-arrow and bent him in half. Thatcher targeted the elbow and he applied a hammerlock at 11:00. Gulak tied him in a painful-looking STF. They got up and traded European Uppercuts. Thatcher dragged him to the mat, applied a Fujiwara Armbar, and Gulak tapped out.
Timothy Thatcher defeated Drew Gulak at 13:07 to advance.
2. Ryan Clancy vs. Joseph “A-Game” Alexander in a first-round tournament match. Cordeiro said this is a first-time-ever singles match. Both men have had a great 2025 run. They immediately tied up on the mat, with Clancy twisting the left wrist. Alexander (think Tavion Heights but less muscle mass) picked up Clancy and slammed him to the mat and tied up Clancy in a crossface. Clancy hit a hard back elbow and a knee drop to the back at 5:30.
Clancy applied a straitjacket sleeper and kept A-Game grounded. Ryan hit a bodyslam and a Sabre-style neck-snap between his ankles, then a senton for a nearfall at 7:30. A-Game hit a jumping knee to the jaw, then another in the corner. Clancy applied a front guillotine choke, and Alexander tapped out. I liked that a lot.
Ryan Clancy defeated Joseph “A-Game” Alexander at 8:56 to advance.
3. Alex Reynolds vs. Matt Mako. Worth reiterating that Mako is a regular on the Bloodsport events, having faced some WWE talents there. Quick reversals on the mat to open, and Alex rolled to the floor to regroup. Back in the ring, the bigger Reynolds kept Mako grounded, and he hit some European Uppercuts at 3:00. Mako went for a cross-armbreaker, then a rollup for a nearfall. Reynolds hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall. He applied a submission hold that was similar to a Full Nelson while they were down. Mako hit a back suplex, and they were both down at 6:30.
Mako hit a double-underhook suplex and a running kick for a nearfall. He got a backslide for a nearfall, then a series of roundhouse kicks to the chest. Mako applied a cross-armbreaker, but Reynolds got a foot on the ropes at 8:30. Reynolds applied an Octopus Stretch; they rolled to the mat and he re-applied the Octopus Stretch, but Mako got a foot on the ropes. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Mako has a small hardway cut on the top of his head that was bleeding. Mako applied a cross-armbreaker, but Reynold rolled him over and got his feet on the ropes for the flash (and cheap!) pin.
Alex Reynolds defeated Matt Mako at 11:00 to advance.
4. Darian Bengston vs. “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams in a first-round tournament match. Bengston is an Atlanta-based guy; he wrestled the next night for Wrestling Open as well. Cordeiro admitted he had never seen Bengston wrestle, and he booked him solely on good word-of-mouth. They tied up on the mat; Cordeiro doubted that Tracy was only 205 pounds, saying he appeared to be in top shape with some added muscle mass. Bengston dragged Tracy to the mat and applied a hammerlock. They traded some rollups, and Bengston was acting cocky, and it was angering Tracy, who began hitting some kicks that dropped Darian.
They got up, and Tracy hit some loud chops at 5:00. Bengton fired back with a loud chop. Tracy hit a back suplex for a nearfall. Tracy applied a full nelson. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Bengston got a crucifix driver for a nearfall at 8:00, then a jackknife rollup for a nearfall. Darian switched to locking both of Tracy’s arms behind his back. Tracy hit a brainbuster for a nearfall, and he immediately went into a crossface at 9:30. Darian got a modified Magistral Cradle for the flash pin! Good action. Cordeiro considered that an upset.
Darian Bengston defeated Tracy Williams at 9:59 to advance.
5. “Star Struck” Anthony Greene and Channing Thomas vs. “The Shooter Boys” Anthony Vecchio and Aaron Ortiz. The Boys wore their Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles, but they are not on the line today. Vecchio and Channing locked up at the bell. Cordeiro noted that the Shooter Boys both had good amateur wrestling backgrounds in high school. Good reversals between these two. Ortiz entered at 3:00 and hit a deep armdrag on Greene. Ortiz tied up Greene on the mat. Channing entered and hit a fisherman’s suplex on Ortiz. Ortiz hit some armdrags. Greene and Vecchio tied up again. SS began working over Vecchio, and Channing applied a Boston Crab.
Vecchio hit a suplex, and he tagged in Ortiz at 7:30. Channing hit a German Suplex on Ortiz, then a back suplex, and he kept Ortiz grounded. Ortiz hit a German Suplex. Some good chain wrestling here. Greene hit an Ospreay-style heel hook kick; he and Vecchio traded rollups, and Vecchio got the flash pin! That was really good mat-based tag action. “This is the good stuff,” Cordeiro said.
Anthony Vecchio and Aaron Ortiz defeated Channing Thomas and Anthony Green at 10:27.
* Intermission was edited out.
6. Brando Lee vs. The OXP. Again, OXP is on the latest season of the Netflix series “Cobra Kai” and his look always makes me think of a young TJ Perkins. OXP threw some spin kicks that Lee avoided. Likewise, OXP ducked and avoided Lee’s early strikes. OXP hit some spin kicks to the thighs. Lee hit a doublestomp to the chest for a nearfall at 2:30. OXP hit some leg lariats in the corner; Lee hit a shotgun dropkick, then his rolling Death Valley Driver and a top-rope doublestomp for the pin. That was a sprint.
Brando Lee defeated The OXP at 4:02.
7. Timothy Thatcher vs. Ryan Clancy in a semifinals match. The commentators noted this is a rematch from Americanrana in August, which Clancy won. Thatcher tied up Clancy on the mat. Cordeiro said Thatcher is fresher. Clancy applied a half-crab. Thatcher held a leg and hit a kick to the spine. Clancy hit a double-underhook suplex for a nearfall at 2:00. Thatcher hit some forearm strikes to the stomach and got a nearfall. He got a bodyslam and tied up Clancy on the mat. Thatcher hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 4:00, and he targeted the left arm. They got to their feet, where Thatcher hit a European Uppercut and a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall at 5:30. Clancy hit his picture-perfect dropkick for the pin out of nowhere!
Ryan Clancy defeated Timothy Thatcher at 6:10 to advance to the finals.
8. Alex Reynolds vs. Darian Bengston in a semifinals match. Standing reversals to open and a feeling-out process. (Bengston has wrestled ROH TV matches before, but I doubt these two have touched before.) Reynolds kept him grounded, and he tied up the left arm. Reynolds hit a head-capture suplex at 5:00. Reynolds again went for a rollup with his feet on the ropes (the way he won his first-round match), but the ref saw it this time. Bengston hit a running kick into the corner, then a Hardy-style “Whisper in the Wind” (top-rope corkscrew cannonball) for a nearfall, and they were both down at 8:30.
Reynolds dropped him with a straight punch to the jaw. Bengston hit a second Whisper in the Wind. Reynolds tied him in an Octopus Stretch. Bengston got a backslide for a nearfall at 10:00. Reynolds hit a low blow and a Russian leg sweep. He tied Bengston in an Octopus Stretch on the mat, and Bengston tapped out. Reynolds was slow to release the hold, which angered the crowd and the commentators. Ryan Clancy ran out for the save; Reynolds shoved Clancy’s bad shoulder into a ring post! Cordeiro was irate, saying that Reynolds just put the finals in jeopardy.
Alex Reynolds defeated Darian Bengston at 10:34 to advance to the finals.
9. Will Kroos vs. Aaron Rourke. Again, I’ve described UK star Kroos as a Sami Callihan clone, but the body frame and size of Bronson Reed; he’s a big man. Kroos carried his Progress Atlas Title belt to the ring. Definitely a clash of styles here. Rourke hit a shotgun dropkick in the corner, then a cross-armbreaker in the ropes, then a second-rope missile dropkick. Kroos hit a powerslam, and he splashed Rourke in the corner and hit some chops. Rourke hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 3:00, and that popped the crowd. Rourke missed a split-legged moonsault. Kroos hit a rolling cannonball into the corner for a nearfall. He hit a Rikishi Driver-style piledriver for the pin. Fun while it lasted.
Will Kroos defeated Aaron Rourke at 5:02.
10. Cappuccino Jones vs. TJ Crawford for the WWE ID Title. If Crawford wins, not only will he get the title, he will earn an ID contract! This is Cap’s first title defense since he won the belt just over two months ago. TJ got a rollup for a nearfall in the first 10 seconds. TJ threw some quick kicks that Jones ducked and avoided. They traded forearm strikes and chops. Crawford hit some stiff kicks to the spine at 4:00. Jones hit a dropkick. He hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall at 6:00, and he tied up Crawford on the mat. Jones hit a half-nelson suplex for a nearfall.
Jones hit a suplex at 8:00 and remained in control. He applied a sleeper, but TJ ran backwards into the corner to escape. TJ hit some Yes Kicks at 9:30. TJ peeled off a D’Lo Brown-style chest protector that Cap had been wearing, and TJ unloaded some kicks to Cap’s bare chest. Crawford hit a springboard stunner for a nearfall. Jones hit a Michinoku Driver. (He calls it a Macchiato Driver; I don’t drink coffee.) TJ got some rollups. He hit a series of strikes. They hit stereo kicks and were both down at 13:00. This has been really good.
They got to their knees and traded forearm strikes, then more while on their feet, and the crowd was fired up. Jones hit a Mafia Kick, but Crawford hit a flying spin kick to the jaw. TJ nailed a Silver Bullet (Skull Kick!) However, Cap rolled to the floor at 15:00 to avoid being pinned. They traded a few kicks on the floor and got right back in. TJ tripped, and as he got up, Jones nailed the Decaffinator (twisting neckbreaker) for the pin. A sharp, sharp match. Jones helped him to his feet and raised TJ’s arm, and the crowd gave them a nice applause.
Cappuccino Jones defeated TJ Crawford to retain the WWE ID Title at 15:53.
11. Ryan Clancy vs. Alex Reynolds in the tournament finale. Clancy was holding a limp arm as he came to the ring first. Clancy charged at the bell. Reynolds targeted the damaged left shoulder and stomped on it. Ryan rolled to the floor at 2:00 and sold the pain. They fought at ringside — nearly every match tonight was entirely fought in the ring. Alex hit a back suplex onto the apron and got a nearfall in the ring. In the ring, Alex hit some punches that dropped Clancy. He hit a European Uppercut in the corner at 6:00.
They traded punches as Clancy was protecting his sore left arm. Ryan rammed Reynolds shoulder-first into the corner, then he hit a German Suplex with a bridge for a nearfall, but couldn’t hold it because of the sore arm. Reynolds hit a Tiger Driver with a jackknife cover for a believable nearfall, and they were both down at 8:30. Clancy hit a senton, but Reynolds grabbed him and rolled him over for a nearfall.
Nice! Alex hit a series of knee lifts to the gut. Clancy hit his picture-perfect dropkick for a nearfall at 11:00, but Alex got a hand on the ropes. Reynolds hit a pop-up knee strike, a discus punch, and a Russian Leg Sweep-into-an Octopus Stretch on the mat. (How he won his second match! Nice callback!) Clancy was able to escape. Reynolds peeled off the tape on Clancy’s left shoulder and got booed. He choked Ryan with the tape. He went for a low blow, but Clancy blocked it. Ryan hit a second dropkick, and he applied the Butterfly Lock (front guillotine choke), and Reynolds tapped out! Good action.
Ryan Clancy defeated Alex Reynolds at 14:19 to win the “Bound For The Floor” tournament.
Final Thoughts: Yeah, this is my style of wrestling. Lots of good mat-based matches, some rising stars, and top-notch in-ring action. Heck, almost every single match was fought nearly entirely in the ring. No chairs, no blood, no tables, thumbtacks, gusset plates, glass panes, light tubes, staplers, or cooking skewers to be found. Sign me up for more of this.
Cap Jones vs. TJ Crawford was really good and earned best match. Shooter Boys vs. Star Struck was some top-notch tag wrestling, and that takes second. The tournament was really good and I’ll go with Bengston-Williams for third. All that said, a lot of top-notch matches here, and I’m sure someone else would have an entirely different list of top matches. This show is available on IWTV and gets a strong recommendation.
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