By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Chicago Style Wrestling “In Cold Blood”
December 12, 2025, in Franklin Park, Illinois, at VFW Post 5040
Released this week for streaming via Independentwrestling.tv
This venue is a large gym located on the north side of Chicago, near the O’Hare Airport. They always draw well here; it’s packed with maybe 350 fans; some people were lined up against the back walls. Everyone in the lineup tonight is a regular here.
1. Hans Carden vs. Conan Lycan. Carden is tall and slender — he’s a bit like Test, or Von Wagner. Lycan is a thick beast; think Brian Cage. They brawled early on. Lycan hit a Magic Screw twisting neckbreaker off the ropes, then a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 1:30, and Carden rolled to the floor to regroup. Lycan crotched Hans on the guardrail. They brawled into the crowd. Lycan nailed a flip dive over the top rope and over the guardrail and crashed onto Hans on the floor at 4:00, earning a “Holy shit!” chant.
In the ring, Hans applied a half-crab. He whipped Lycan into the corner at 6:00. Lycan nailed a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Hans nailed a Claymore Kick and again went for the half-crab. Hans hit a powerbomb and again locked in the half-crab, but Lycan reached the ropes at 9:00. Hans got a chair but the ref confiscated it. However, as the ref was out of position, Lycan hit a low blow! He then hit an Ospreay-style Stormbreaker (swinging slam off his shoulder) for the pin! Good opener, but a bit of a surprise to see Conan resort to cheating.
Conan Lycan defeated Hans Carden at 9:54.
2. Lili La Pescadita Ruiz vs. Maggie Lee vs. Heather Reckless vs. Haven Harris for the CSW Women’s Title. Ruiz came out last and danced her way to the ring with the belt over her shoulder. I’ve seen Haven a few times, but I didn’t realize she’s nearly as tall as Maggie; she is listed at 5’9″. Maggie and Heather immediately worked together, but Maggie accidentally hit a pump kick on Heather! She profusely apologized. Lili hit a huracanrana on Maggie that sent her to the floor at 2:30. Heather hit a huracanrana from the apron to the floor on Maggie!
Lili dove through the ropes on all three. Haven hit a top-rope dive to the floor, but she landed awkwardly. Maggie hit a flip dive onto everyone. Haven got back into the ring and dove through the ropes onto all three (so I guess she’s okay!) Haven again dove through the ropes, but Heather caught her with a stunner at 4:00! In the ring, Heather was tied in the Tree of Woe, but she suplexed two women to the mat. Maggie hit a coast-to-coast dropkick on Heather, and all four were down, and we got another “Holy shit!” chant.
All four got to their knees and traded chops as they slowly got to their feet. Ruiz hit a dropkick on Heather. Haven hit a clothesline. Maggie hit a superkick on Haven at 6:30. Ruiz and Haven traded blows, and Lili hit a DVD for a nearfall, but Heather made the save. Heather hit a Tiger Driver for a nearfall on Ruiz. Maggie hit a top-rope moonsault onto Heather! Ruiz hit a DVD off the ropes on Maggie, but Lee rolled to the floor. Lilii and Haven traded rollups, with Ruiz getting the clean, flash pin. That was top-notch women’s action.
LIli La Pescadita Ruiz defeated Haven Harris, Maggie Lee, and Heather Reckless at 8:11.
3. Shazza McKenzie vs. “Warhorse” Jake Parnell in a no-disqualification match. These two have been feuding for months, and Jake pulled her out of a women’s match last month. Shazza came out first (wearing shorts and a T-shirt because she’s here to fight!) and she dove onto Jake as he approached. She got a chair, but he punched it. She unloaded some chops; he hit a hard one back. Shazza hit a running knee in the corner. They brawled to the floor, and she whipped him into the guardrail at 1:30. Jake was already bleeding from his forehead. He tossed her into the rows of empty chairs.
They returned to ringside, and he peeled off his white T-shirt and choked her with it. Jake broke a metal bar off the bottom of the chair. They got into the ring, but she hit a low blow at 3:30. She hit more chops, but he powerbombed her. Jake tossed more chairs into the ring. Shazza hit a back suplex at 5:30. She tossed a chair at his head three times, then struck him across the back with it. She hit one more to the top of his head for a nearfall. Parnell hit a baseball slide dropkick, sending her head into the guardrail. He set up a table on the floor at 7:30.
In the ring, Jake set up several chairs as she was recovering in a corner. However, she powerbombed him onto the top edges of the chairs, and she got a nearfall at 9:00. Jake hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip in the ropes. They fought on the apron, and he hit a leaping piledriver from the apron and through the table set up at ringside at 10:30, earning another “Holy shit!” chant. (We’re 3-for-3 tonight!) He rolled her into the ring but only got a nearfall, and he was frustrated. Jake nailed a top-rope elbow drop, but she kicked out again!
Shazza hit the Splits Stunner! Parnell hit a German Suplex, tossing her into the turnbuckles at 12:30. He climbed the ropes, but she jabbed the metal chair piece into his groin. She tossed him to the mat. She wrapped a leather belt around his neck and choked him, and he tapped out! That was really, really good… and that comes from someone who generally doesn’t like intergender matches.
Shazza McKenzie defeated Jake Parnell in a no-DQ match at 13:04.
* Nick Kotas and Victor Analog came to the ring to help Jake to his feet, but then Analog hit a discus forearm strike! Kotas jumped on him and repeatedly punched Parnell.
4. Bruss Hamilton and “The Hype” Hunter Holdcroft and 12-Gauge Noonan vs. Shain Boucher and Jack Valor and Eddie Grayson. The Hype are heels here; I’m used to seeing them as babyfaces in Dreamwave. They dress like 1970s gamblers at a seedy casino and horse track. Valor and Grayson are scrawny teens who have been thrown around here for the past year but they recently became the tag champs. 12-Gauge opened against Valor, and Jack hit a Lionsault. Hunter and Grayson traded offense. Valor and Grayson hit some team kicks on the massive Bruss.
Valor hit a dive to the floor. Bruss tossed a scrawny kid to the floor. Bruss hit another hip-toss, and he worked over Valor. The heels kept Valor in their corner and beat him down. Shain got a hot tag at 4:30. He launched off someone’s back and dove to the floor on Bruss! Valor and Grayson hit some quick team offense on 12-Gauge. Bruss powerbombed two guys out of the corner, then he hit a powerbomb on Shain. Hunter hit a frog splash on Boucher for a nearfall at 7:00.
12-Gauge and Bruss started arguing. Most of the guys fought on the floor. Bruss hit a running crossbody block off the apron to the floor on the other five at 8:30. Back in the ring, Bruss set up for a move, but 12-Gauge made a blind tag, and he yelled at Hamilton! “12 Gauge is insane,” a commentator said. Boucher hit a top-rope doublestomp on Bruss; it allowed Grayson and Jack to hit stereo rollups for the pins on 12 Gauge and Hunter. A fun, non-stop match.
Shain Boucher, Jack Valor, and Eddie Grayson defeated Bruss Hamilton, 12-Gauge Noonan, and Hunter Holdcraft at 9:33.
5. FXB vs. Victor Iniestra vs. Axel Rico vs. Jay Marston vs. Victor Analog in a 15-minute ironman match for the CSW Metra Division Title. How many pins can you have in just 15 minutes? FXB, the champion, came out last, looking like a demonic Santa. All five fought at the bell. Marston hit a German Suplex on Iniestra, then he dropped him with Snake Eyes. Marston powerbombed FXB and pinned him at 1:29. (And that is why I hate matches like this. No way would Jay otherwise get a pin on FXB in under two minutes in any other match.)
Analog hit a spinning heel kick on Marston, then a spinning back suplex. Rico hit a series of kicks on Analog. Those two traded enzuigiris. Rico pinned Analog at 4:14. FXB hit a springboard splash onto Rico for a nearfall. Analog hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor on Jay at 6:00, and those two brawled at ringside. Rico hit a somersault off the apron onto both of them. In the ring, FXB chopped Iniestra, then FXB dove onto the other three on the floor.
In the ring, Iniestra hit a crossbody block and pinned FXB at 8:02. Rico put Iniestra on his shoulders, spun him, and hit a powerbomb for a nearfall. Analog hit a brainbuster and pinned Rico at 9:58. We had a Tower of Doom spot, and FXB got a nearfall; he tried getting pins on several guys. He’s the only guy who doesn’t have a pin yet! FXB hit a powerbomb for a nearfall. Analog hit a brainbuster and got a nearfall. Marston hit a package piledriver.
FXB hit a missile dropkick and got a pin at 13:45, so everyone has a pin now. Rico hit a Falcon Arrow. Analog hit a discus forearm, but Rico rolled to the floor. It was just FXB and Analog in the ring, and we hit 15:00. Analog hit a dive to the floor. Rico hit a flying kick in the ring on FXB but hurt his knee; he got a nearfall. Iniestra hit a delayed vertical suplex. FXB speared Iniestra for a nearfall. They started counting down! The ref declared we reached a 15:00 time-limit draw at 17:55! So, FXB retains the title because everyone had one pin. Lame; the commentators had promised us overtime if we didn’t have a definitive winner at the end of the time limit.
FXB (1) vs. Victor Iniestra (1) vs. Axel Rico (1) vs. Jay Marston (1) vs. Victor Analog (1) in a 15-minute ironman match went to a draw at 17:55; FXB retains the CSW Metra Division Title.
6. Steve Boz vs. Missa Kate in a “career vs. career, loser leaves CSW” match. CSW Hall of Famer Doug Simmons was the special referee. Kate is a scrappy brawler, but in a legit fight, he would demolish her. They locked up, and he easily shoved her to the mat. Boz did it again and posed; he’s not taking her seriously at all. He easily knocked her down with a shoulder block at 1:30. Steve hit a snap suplex for a nearfall, and he kept her grounded in a rear-naked choke. (This match has been 100% believable at this point, because she’s not gotten anything in.)
Kate hit a roundhouse kick to his head at 4:30 that dropped him, and they were both down. She hit a kick to the sternum for a nearfall. She hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 6:00. Kate accidentally hit a roundhouse kick on the ref, who dropped him. She hit one on Boz for a visual pin, but we had no ref! Boz got a chair, but she kicked him in the gut. He hit a Fameasser leg drop, sending her head onto a folded chair, and he got a nearfall at 8:30.
Boz intentionally hit the ref! Kate hit a low blow on Boz. She got the chair again and clocked him in the head with it, then threw it to the floor. She got a nearfall at 10:00. Boz ‘Hulked up,’ which turns this match cartoonish. Ugh. He hit the Hogan Leg Drop for a nearfall. He nailed a superkick for a nearfall. Kate hit a Sting-style inverted DDT. She did the “You Can’t See Me!” and Five Knuckle Shuffle, then an AA Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 12:30. Boz did a Flair Flip in the corner. Kate hit a second-rope superplex, and we had a double-pin nearfall.
They traded blows while on their knees, and he hit a hard slap to her face. She got up and unloaded some kicks. He hit a superkick and a stunner. He kissed her forehead and hit a Sister Abigail swinging faceplant. Ref Simmons was hesitant but made the three-count. Boz wins! Kate is gone! I fully expected that she was going to win this!
Steve Boz defeated Missa Kate in a loser-leave-CSW match at 14:30.
7. Mustafa Ali vs. Solomon Tupu. I’ve described Tupu as similar to Bronson Reed but a bit smaller. BUT, he’s still much bigger than Ali. Mustafa was joined to ringside by five of his wrestling school graduates. The bell rang, but they paused to listen to the alternating chants for both guys. Ali offered a handshake but withdrew it before finally locking up at 1:30; Tupu easily shoved the smaller Ali to the mat. Ali hit a chop, but it only hurt his hand. Tupu hit a running body block that dropped Ali. Tupu hit a Samoan Drop for a nearfall.
Ali slammed Tupu’s head into the top turnbuckle, but it didn’t faze Solomon at all; Ali rolled to the floor, and he snapped Tupu’s neck across the top rope at 4:30, and he hit a tornado DDT onto the thin mat at ringside. This crowd is really down; the Kate loss has really deflated them! In the ring, Ali hit his rolling neckbreaker and celebrated. He hit a standing moonsault for a one-count. Tupu nailed a Falcon Arrow,, and they were both down at 7:00. Tupu fired up and hit some clotheslines, then a uranage for a nearfall.
Ali hit a suplex at 8:30 and celebrated. Tupu caught him with a headbutt. Ali hit a superkick; Tupu hit one; Ali hit one. Ali charged into the corner but crashed into the middle turnbuckle. (It really has become Mustafa’s signature spot.) They traded forearm strikes while on their knees. Tupu hit a decapitating clothesline and a frog splash for a nearfall at 11:00, but Ali slid out. They again fought to the floor. Ali dove through the ropes and went deep into the crowd and crashed onto Tupu at 12:30.
Back in the ring, Ali nailed the top-rope 450 Splash for a nearfall, but Tupu sat up and cradled Ali in his arms and tossed him aside. Ali hit a kick to the spine and a chop, but they had no effect. Tupu hit a buttsplash to the sternum in the corner, but he missed a rolling cannonball. Tupu nailed a pop-up powerbomb and got the pin! I didn’t expect that result, either! A really good match. A commentator called it “a match for the ages.”
Solomon Tupu defeated Mustafa Ali at 13:57.
* Ali got on the mic and told Tupu he “lives to make people laugh.” He challenged him to become serious. “You are a bad-ass Samoan!” he said. (Seriously, is there a better promo on the indy scene today than Ali?)
8. Adam Stallion vs. Cypher in a Buried Alive Match. I’m admittedly not a big fan of either guy. These two used to be teammates, before Stallion turned on his Diesel-sized partner Cypher… so at least there is a storyline behind it. They glared at each other, and Cypher threw him into the corner. (You would think if they had the bad blood that is being claimed, they would already be punching each other. This match is already off to a terrible start.) They fought to the floor, with Cypher tossing the smaller Adam around.
They started to brawl over to the ‘buried alive’ platform, which was a giant box of dirt. Eric Schultz (the wrestling lawyer with a tie to give some IRS vibes) ran up with a Taser and tried to zap Cypher. Cypher brought Adam back into the ring and chopped him. Schultz got in, so Cypher chopped him, too. Cypher set up for a dive, but Adam hit him with a chair at 6:00. In the ring, Stallion and Schultz took turns hitting Cypher with kendo sticks. Cypher finally got a hand on a kendo stick and struck Adam with it at 9:00. Stallion shoved Cypher off the ropes and through a table at ringside, and they were both down.
They finally brawled over to the buried alive box and got on top of it. Stallion hit a low blow and dropped him in the box. Stallion had a shovel, but Heather Reckless ran over and confiscated it. Cypher stood up from the hole, wearing a scary mask. He chokeslammed Stallion into the hole and scooped dirt onto it to win the match. Meh. They tried hard, but these two just aren’t ‘there’ in terms of ring skills.
Cypher defeated Adam Stallion in a Buried Alive match at 17:13.
9. Marshe Rockett vs. Rafael Quintero for the CSW Title. I just watched the match last week where Quintero won the No. 1 contender spot. I love the serious introductions for both men. Rockett has such a massive size advantage. Quintero (who lost a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it match to Okada in AEW) is a vastly underrated talent in the Midwest. Rockett rolled to the floor; Quintero dove onto him, and we’re underway! In the ring, Quintero hit a dropkick, then a flip dive to the floor, with him landing over the guardrail and in the crowd. They brawled at ringside. Rockett accidentally chopped the ring post at 2:30.
In the ring, Quintero hit a Shotgun Dropkick and a rolling huracanrana out of the corner. Rockett hit a Harlem Side Kick, mounted Rafael, and hit some punches and took control. Marshe hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 4:30. Rockett caught Quintero and hit a stunner for a nearfall. Marshe missed a Swanton Bomb at 6:30. Quintero hit a top-rope crossbody block. He hit a top-rope Froggy Bow elbow drop for a nearfall. Rockett accidentally speared the ref at 8:00! Quintero hit a tornado DDT, and they were both down.
Bruss Hamilton ran into the ring. He choked out Quintero. Tupu ran in for the save. Boz jumped in and kicked Tupu. Lycan got in the ring and hit a shoulder tackle on Boz. Ali jumped in and hit Lycan! Quintero hit Ali! Rockett hit another stunner on Quintero and got a nearfall, and Marshe was livid! Rockett hit an elbow drop on the ref at 10:00! Marshe punched the guy holding his belt at ringside, and he brought the strap into the ring. However, Quintero hit a Lethal Injection on Rockett! He hit a rolling Death Valley Driver onto the belt! He hit another top-rope Froggy Bow! He hit a third Froggy Bow for the pin! New champion!
Rafael Quintero defeated Marshe Rockett to win the CSW Title at 11:45.
* Rockett handed Quintero the belt and rolled out of the ring, and Quintero celebrated with it. Tupu and Lycan hugged Quintero. Grayson and Valor also came down to celebrate with them. However, Lycan hit a low blow on Tupu, then one on Quintero! He hit a double clothesline on Valor and Grayson, then he struck Quintero with the belt and hit a Stormbreaker on the new champ. Lycan posed with the belt with one foot on Quintero’s chest as the show concluded. (We saw Lycan win via a low blow in the opening match; the seeds for this heel turn were definitely planted.)
Final Thoughts: A good show. A large, lively crowd really helped make this show feel special. While the crowd wasn’t into it early on, Ali-Tupu was really good and the reason to tune in. I’ll go with Shazza-Warhorse for second, and the main event third. The crowd was totally into the Boz-Kate match, to the point I don’t feel like the crowd ever fully recovered from her tearful exit. Not sure what is next for her if she isn’t here. Valor and Grayson are young and entertaining.
What didn’t work was the five-way ironman match. The commentators were quite clear that we would have an overtime if it was tied… then we didn’t have an overtime. The commentators even joked that the final minute was the longest minute of their lives… they weren’t just ‘off’ on the time limit by 10 or 20 seconds… they were nearly three minutes over! That is just poor planning and poor execution. (When we went past 15 minutes on my watch, I had actually assumed we had gone straight into the tie-breaker overtime because it just kept going and going.) Some really good wrestlers in there, but the match was an utter fail.
The buried alive match just didn’t click for me; I won’t bash further because I think everyone involved tried hard. The strengths of the show definitely outweigh the weaknesses.
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