By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Battle For The Brave Wrestling
June 6, 2026, in Rahway, New Jersey, at the Rahway Rec Center
Streamed live via the Boots To Boots YouTube Channel
Steve Maclin and Deonna Purrazzo held this wrestling showcase for heroes benefiting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. It appeared to be packed in there with maybe 1,200 or so fans. The lighting was merely okay. Paul Crockett, Brother Greatness, and Ian Riccobani provided commentary. I love that Wrestling Open’s top announce team is getting a chance on a big show like this.
* With both AEW Collision and a TNA taping on Saturday, I’m not sure who is all free to participate in this show.
1. Rich Swann vs. Amazing Red. This is how you open a show! They exchanged quick reversals early on; both attempted dropkicks and had a standoff at 2:00. The commentators noted it was really warm in the building. Swann danced and tried to get Red to join in. They restarted the Lionel Richie so Red could dance to “All Night Long.” Red showed some dance moves, but Swann kicked him in the stomach! The music stopped as they brawled at ringside.
In the ring, Swann hit a running Penalty Kick at 7:00. Swann hit a series of punches in the corner. Rich stayed in control. He grabbed a chair from ringside and sat Red on it, and he hit a running kick to the face, then another. Red hit a kick and threw Swann back into the ring. Swann tied him in a chin lock on the mat. Red hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall at 12:00. Swann hit a Frankensteiner for a nearfall. Rich hit some punches. Red hit a dive through the ropes at 14:00.
In the ring, Red hit a top-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall. Red went for a Code Red off the ropes, but Swann rotated and landed on his feet! They hit stereo spin kicks to the head! Red hit another spin kick, and they were both down at 16:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes and punches. Swann hit a Lethal Injection for a nearfall. Red hit a DDT and a frog splash, then the Code Red for the pin. A really good opener. They hugged afterwards.
Amazing Red defeated Rich Swann at 17:55.
2. Kaia McKenna vs. Gabby Forza. Kaia wore a firefighter’s thick jacket. Kaia is tall, maybe 5’10” or 5’11,” and has the height advantage. They traded headgear and shook hands before locking up. Gabby got angry and tossed Kaia’s tiara to the mat, and that got some boos. Gabby hit a shoulder tackle and a Samoan Drop, then a senton for a nearfall at 2:00. She hit some clotheslines in the corner. Kaia hit a Pump Kick to the chest. Ian noted that Kaia just had an ROH match.
Gabby hit a series of chops in the corner. Kaia hit a running buttbump in the corner and got a nearfall at 4:00. She looked legit annoyed at the ref for getting in the way. Kaia hit some shoulder thrusts to the ribs in the corner and was in charge. Gabby fired up and hit some clotheslines, then a powerslam for a nearfall at 6:30. Gabby cut Kaia in half with a spear out of nowhere for the pin!
Gabby Forza defeated Kaia McKenna at 7:12.
3. “The Shooter Boys” Anthony Vecchio and Aaron Ortiz vs. “Sinner and Saint” Judas Icarus and Travis Williams vs. (mystery team) “The Rascalz” Myron Reed and Dezmond Xavier in a three-way tag team match. Tony Khan pulled the Infantry from this show (they wrestled on Collision) and sent the Rascalz as replacements. The Shooter Boys and Sinner and Saint attacked the Rascalz, and then they fought each other. (In Wrestling Open, Ortiz is injured, so this was either a kayfabe injury or it was minor.) Judas and Travis hit stereo dropkicks on Vecchio at 1:30.
The Rascalz hit some quick team moves on Judas in their corner and got a nearfall. Judas threw Dezmond Xavier into their corner, and SandS worked over Dez. Vecchio got a hot tag at 5:00 and traded forearm strikes with Travis. Ortiz hit a German Suplex with a high bridge on Williams for a nearfall. Travis hit a running stunner on Ortiz, and Judas got a nearfall. Ortiz hit a double suplex on Sinner and Saint at 7:00. Myron got a hot tag and hit an axe kick on Travis. Myron hit an enzuigiri on Travis.
The Rascalz hit a team neckbreaker on Williams for a nearfall, but the Boys broke it up. The Shooter Boys hit stereo dropkicks. Ortiz launched off of Vecchio’s back and hit a flip dive to the floor on the other four! Judas hit a clothesline in the ring. Travis hit his handspring-back-clothesline. He hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Ortiz hit a German Suplex, then another! Ortiz hit a double German Suplex at 11:30! Vecchio hit a top-rope Blockbuster. Myron hit the Flame On stunner over the top rope to the floor. Dez hit a double Pele Kick. Myron hit a 450 Splash, and Dez immediately hit a top-rope Phoenix Splash onto Vecchio for the pin! Good action.
The Rascalz” Myron Reed and Dezmond Xavier defeated “The Shooter Boys” Anthony Vecchio and Aaron Ortiz, and “Sinner and Saint” Judas Icarus and Travis Williams in a three-way tag at 12:12.
4. David Goldy vs. Marcus Mathers. Goldy was featured in the Apple+ docuseries on the Monster Factory; I haven’t seen him wrestle yet this year. Mathers wore his Phillies-inspired blue gear. A clean tie-up, and Goldy is maybe two inches taller. They traded a few punches as this quickly got heated. Goldy hit a monkey-flip at 2:00. Mathers hit a scoop bodyslam. They rolled to the floor, where Marcus hit some chops. They looped the ring. Ian noted that Marcus has the experience advantage even though they are roughly the same age.
Mathers suplexed Goldy into the turnbuckles. He hit a senton for a nearfall at 5:00, and he kept Goldy grounded in a front headlock and turned it into a front guillotine choke. Goldy hit a suplex, and they were both down at 7:00. Goldy hit a Northern Lights Suplex. Mathers hit a corner fadeaway stunner and his Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Goldy hit a series of kicks. Mathers hit an enzuigiri. Goldy hit a DDT for a nearfall at 9:00.
Marcus hit some loud chops and a dropkick. He popped him up and hit a knee strike. Goldy hit a rolling Koppo Kick and a running knee, then a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 11:00. Goldy came off the ropes, but Mathers caught him with a Superman Punch. He hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to the jaw, then a fisherman’s buster for the pin. Some really good action here.
Marcus Mathers defeated David Goldy at 12:15.
5. Shotzi Blackheart and Priscilla Kelly vs. Emily Jaye and Tiara James. I was just noting the sheer number of times Shotzi and Priscilla have faced each other in the past nine months! They finally get to team up again! Emily was seen on AEW Dynamite on Wednesday, taking a ‘selfie’ with Andrade. Shotzi and Tiara went to open, but they took turns playing to the crowd. Tiara rolled to the floor instead of locking up. They finally tied up, and Shotzi threw her to the mat at 2:30. Shotzi hit her 619 in the corner.
Kelly entered for the first time, and she immediately targeted Tiara’s left arm. Shotzi re-entered and tied up with Emily Jaye. Shotzi hit a flying strike to Emily’s back. Priscilla did a Bronco Buster on Jaye and got a nearfall at 5:30. Emily mounted Shotzi and repeatedly punched her, and was booed. Jaye hit a DDT for a nearfall. Tiara hit a suplex on Shotzi for a nearfall at 7:30. The heels ‘wish-boned’ Shotzi’s legs, and Emily got a nearfall. Tiara hit another suplex, then a spinebuster for a nearfall.
Tiara missed a spear into the corner, with her shoulder striking the ring post, and they were both down. Priscilla got a hot tag at 11:00 and hit some clotheslines. All four began brawling. Shotzi and Priscilla each hit kicks to Jaye’s head. Shotzi dove through the ropes and barreled onto Emily, and it appeared Emily really hit the back of her head on the guardrails. Shotzi threw Jaye back into the ring. They hit a team neckbreaker move on Emily for the pin. Good action.
Shotzi Blackheart and Priscilla Kelly defeated Emily Jaye and Tiara James at 13:15.
6. A 12-person gauntlet (Rumble) match. The final two wrestlers will have a regular match. I have no idea who will be in this one. Steve Maclin drew No. 1! Zachary Wentz drew No. 2 (he came out with the Rascalz earlier but headed to the back rather than joining them at ringside.) Maclin hit some chops. FBI member Ray Jaz drew No. 3, and he hit some dropkicks. He hit a high back suplex on Maclin. Griffin McCoy was No. 4 at 3:30, and I’ll reiterate that he’s 6’2″ or 6’3″, making him taller than everyone else in the ring. He hit a double suplex.
Brent Oakley was No. 5; I don’t think he’s really competed here before. (He’s a regular in Wrestling Revolver in the Midwest). BDE was No. 6. Alec Odin was No. 7; I don’t know him but he wore a cowboy hat and has a passing resemblance to Bobby Roode. He’s really muscular! Brother Greatness said Odin might be the biggest man in the match. Odin tossed Jaz at 9:00. Steve Gibki, who is just as muscular as Odin, was No. 8. Gibki flipped out both Oakley and McCoy!
Kris Statlander was No. 9 at 11:00, and she got a big pop! Gibki and Odin hit a team chokeslam on her! The big guys clotheslined each other and were both down. They fought along the ropes, and Kris flipped them both out! Kris hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on BDE and a delayed vertical suplex on Wentz. Brad Attitude was No. 10. Statlander slapped him, so Brad hit a stunner on her and was booed. BDE came off the ropes, but Brad hit a stunner on him. Maclin hit a stunner on Brad. Joey Janela was No. 11 at 14:00, and he hit a moonsault press on several guys.
Joey and Kris traded forearm strikes, and Janela hit a German Suplex. Kris popped up and hit her own German Suplex! She hit a vertical suplex on Joey. Richard Holliday drew No. 12, and he hit His Signature Move (a low-blow uppercut) on several guys. Of course, Statlander no-sold being struck in the groin, and she hit a powerbomb. Several guys knocked Statlander off the apron to the floor at 16:00, and the crowd loudly booed her elimination. We have SIX men left. BDE clotheslined Brad Attitude to the floor.
Janela knocked BDE to the floor, leaving four competitors. Janela battled Wentz, while Holliday fought Maclin. Steve tied Janela in the Tree of Woe, but Janela escaped and hit a Dragon Suplex on Maclin. Maclin tossed Joey at 19:00. Holliday hit His Signature Move and tossed Wentz at 19:38 and this became a one-fall match. They hit stereo clotheslines, and Maclin got a nearfall. Maclin hit some chops in the corner. Maclin hit a second-rope stunner, but Holliday popped up and hit his own stunner.
Holliday hit a big boot and got a nearfall. Maclin hit an Angle Slam at 23:00 and a bulldog. He tied Richard in the Tree of Woe and hit a spear to the exposed ribs and got a nearfall. Holliday hit His Signature Move and the 2008 swinging suplex for the tainted pin! I didn’t expect that!
Richard Holliday won the 12-competitor Gauntlet at 24:16.
* Deonna Purrazzo came to the ring and presented Holliday with the trophy cup. He kissed it and celebrated his win. (I really thought she was going to hit a low blow on him, but she didn’t.) Deonna (wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt, and not dressed to wrestle) got on the mic and talked about this fundraiser, and they had a ceremonial check for the Tunnels to Towers organization.
7. Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy vs. “The Verdict” Bryce Donovan and Vinny “VSK” Scalice. Vinny and Matt opened. This crowd was INSANELY hot. Matt twisted VSK’s arm over his shoulder. Jeff hit an elbow drop onto VSK’s elbow at 3:00. Matt tagged right back in and twisted VSK’s left arm. Bryce tagged in, but Matt twisted Donovan’s left arm. Jeff hit a clothesline. Matt hit some clotheslines, and he repeatedly slammed Bryce’s head into all the turnbuckles in one corner. Bryce caught Matt with a Black Hole Slam. VSK hit a frog splash on Matt for a nearfall at 7:00.
The Verdict began working over Matt in their corner. Vinny choked him in the ropes, and Bryce stomped on him. This is typical of Hardy Boyz matches over the past year, with Matt working the bulk of the in-ring action. Matt and Bryce hit stereo clotheslines at 9:30. They got to their knees and traded punches, then more while standing. Matt hit the Side Effect. Jeff got the hot tag and hit some clotheslines and Atomic Drops, and his leg drops across VSK’s lower abdomen.
Jeff hit a Whisper In The Wind. Matt and Donovan fought to the floor. VSK got a rollup on Jeff for a believable nearfall! VSK hit a superkick on Jeff for a nearfall. Jeff hit a low blow on Bryce, then a Twist of Fate on Vinny. Matt hit a Twist of Fate on Bryce. Jeff got the hot tag, peeled off his shirt (squeals!) and hit the Swanton Bomb to pin Donovan. A bit formula for the Hardys, but good action, and a HOT crowd really added to this.
Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy defeated “The Verdict” Bryce Donovan and Vinny “VSK” Scalice at 13:54.
* A video aired with Deonna talking about holding this event and why it’s so important to help veterans.
Final Thoughts: A fun show and well worth checking out. No surprise that Red-Swann stole the show as the opener. I’ll go with Mathers-Goldy ahead of the three-way tag for second. All seven matches here worked for me. Some people just want to dislike Tony Khan for whatever reason, but I love that when he pulled a team (like the Infantry), he sent a team of equal or better stature as a replacement.
No real complaints — we had a good announcing trio, but the lighting in the ring could have been a bit better. It wasn’t bad, per se, but it certainly wasn’t ideal, either. Purrazzo and Maclin should be proud of how this came together.
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