By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Reality of Wrestling “Glory – 20 Year Anniversary Special”
Taped November 29, 2025, in Texas City, Texas, at Walker Texas Lawyer Arena
Streamed January 6, 2026, on the YouTube.com
* Backstage, some executives talked about the inaugural ROW Legacy Title and who would be in the match to claim it. That match is up first!
1. Gino Medina vs. Clay Roberts vs. Semsei vs. Javi (Bernal) vs. Chandler Hopkins in a ladder match to become the inaugural ROW Legacy Champion. I’ll reiterate that with his bald head and short beard, Clay reminds me of former NXT wrestler Oney Lorcan. Semsei is dressed like Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat, and a commentator just said that after I wrote it! Javi has really let his hair grow long since leaving NXT. I’ve noted before that cowboy Hopkins looks a lot like Jay White. Roberts hit a dropkick on Semsei in the opening seconds. Hopkins climbed the ladder, but it got knocked over.
Roberts climbed the ladder at 2:30, but Gino pulled him down. Hopkins hit a leaping Flatliner, then a fisherman buster. Semsei hit Javi with a ladder. He dove onto all four opponents on the floor. In a funny spot, Clay climbed the ladder to set up for a dive, but thought better of it and climbed down to move the ladder under the belt. In a cool spot, Semsei leapt off the top turnbuckle, but Clay cut him in half by leaping off the ladder at 5:00.
Javi and Gino fought on top of the ladder. Chandler and Javi then fought on top of the ladder at 7:00. Gino got pushed off, and he crashed through a ladder set up in the corner. Gino powerbombed Chandler across a horizontal ladder, earning a “holy shit!” chant. Chandler tied up Semsei’s leg in the ladder, and he nearly got to the belt, but Semsei pushed him off, then Semsei pulled down the belt!
Semsei defeated Clay Roberts, Chandler Hopkins, Javi, and Gino Medina in a ladder match at 8:56 to become the inaugural ROW Legacy Champion.
* Outside, EJ Nduka and Sam Holloway talked about how they came together and will now run ROW. We then heard from Zack Zilla and Warren J, who want to reclaim their spot on top.
2. “Fly Def” Warren J and Zack Zilla vs. “La Familia” Jonathan Vega and Jay Alexander vs. Rhys Maddox and Erik Lockhart vs. EJ Nduka and Sam Holloway in a four-way to become No. 1 contenders. ROW’s refusal to use on-screen graphics is just perplexing and maddening; why not put the names of La Familia on the screen for viewers to read??? In recent months, teenager Maddox has been mentored by Lockhart. A commentator said EJ and Sam are “like two different versions of Godzilla.” (Both guys are about 6’8″ and tower over everyone else in this match.)
We got the bell with Vega and Rhys opening; they are probably the smallest and scrawniest of these eight. Rhys hit a DDT on one of the Fly Def guys. Holloway tagged in at 2:00 and took Rhys’ head off with a stiff clothesline. EJ and Sam threw Rhys high into the air, and he crashed to the mat, which earned a pop. EJ hit a delayed vertical suplex, and Sam hit a big elbow drop for a nearfall. The muscular Jay Alexander (similar to Bron Breakker!) got in and hit some belly-to-belly suplexes at 5:00.
One of Fly Def hit a frog splash, but EJ shoved him to the floor and stole a pinfall attempt. Sam and EJ hit a team chokeslam on Alexander for a believable nearfall, but the other five all broke it up. The six suddenly all attacked Sam and EJ!! Lockhart hit a butterfly suplex. Vega hit a top-rope somersault to the floor on several guys. Sam and EJ hit a team powerbomb to pin Vega. That was non-stop action, too.
EJ Nduka and Sam Holloway defeated “Fly Def” Warren J and Zack Zilla, and “La Familia” Jonathan Vega and Jay Alexander, and Rhys Maddox and Erik Lockhart in a four-way at 7:47 to become No. 1 contenders.
* Alex Gracia came to the ring. Her opponent, Gigi Rey, couldn’t make it, so in Alex’s mind, she should be crowned as champion! However, an executive came out and had a new opponent for her… Promise Braxton!
3. Alex Gracia vs. Promise Braxton. I’ve compared Braxton to TNA’s Tasha Steelz; there is a legit toughness and badass aura to her. The crowd popped for Braxton’s entrance. The commentators talked about how huge this is that Braxton has moved from “Platinum” to “Glory.” She immediately hit some suplexes and tossed the smaller Gracia around.
Alex hit a leg drop on the left arm at 1:30 and began targeting it. Braxton fired up and hit some clotheslines and a Pump Kick at 4:30. She hit a top-rope flying knees to the back of the head for a nearfall, but Gracia got a foot on the ropes. Alex got a rollup with her feet on the ropes for a nearfall. Braxton rolled her up with a handful of tights for the pin! Solid action.
Promise Braxton defeated Alex Gracia at 5:31.
* Backstage, an interviewer spoke to “House Money,” which is AJ Francis’s faction here.
4. Eli Knight and “The Command” Big Luther and Terrale Tempo vs. “House Money” AJ Francis, Jossiah Jean, and Quentin Wynters (w/Tianna Sway). The commentators immediately talked about Eli becoming the newest WWE ID prospect. The Command had their tag belts, which aren’t on the line in this six-man match. Luther (think a young Keith Lee!) opened against Francis, but AJ tagged out before locking up, and the crowd taunted him for backing down. Luther flattened Wynters in the corner, then he hit double-chops on Quentin’s chest, and that popped the crowd.
Jean entered and battled Tempo. The heels began working over Tempo (think Rich Swann) and kept Terrale in their corner. Eli got a hot tag at 5:00, and he began hitting dropkicks on each of the heels. He hit a handspring-back-spin kick on Francis, then a springboard dropkick on AJ. He nailed a top-rope moonsault, but Sway was distracting the ref! It allowed Francis to recover and hit a spear on Knight.
Luther came into the ring behind AJ, and those two traded punches. Luther scooped up Francis and hit the World’s Strongest Slam! He nailed a Choke Bomb on Wynters, then a standing powerbomb on Jean. Terrale accidentally hit Luther! Eli hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread on Jean. Francis hit the Down Payment massive chokeslam to pin Eli Knight. Good action.
“House Money” AJ Francis, Jossiah Jean, and Quentin Wynters defeated Eli Knight, Big Luther, and Terrale Tempo at 9:00.
Final Thoughts: A truly top-notch hour of TV, as all four matches worked for me. WWE ID prospects Eli Knight and Sam Holloway look like stars. Braxton has been on fire all year, and that includes a great match against Nattie Neidhart. EJ Nduka, for whatever reason, couldn’t stick around in MLW, NXT, or AEW, but he looks great. Big Luther is a beast. The opening ladder match had some big bumps. Really, my only complaint is the refusal to use on-screen graphics… I had to figure out the names of the Familia during the match because they weren’t displayed on the screen before the bell.
The show clocked in at about 1 hour. If you haven’t seen ROW before… this would be a really good place to start.
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