By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Victory Ring “Adrenaline”
May 23, 2026, in Warwick, Quebec, at Complexe sportif HBCQ
Streamed live via the Victory Ring YouTube Channel
Warwick is located between Ottawa and Quebec City, north of Vermont. A lot of the top talent from the New England area made a trek to this show.
* I didn’t expect this — FRENCH commentary! No English! The venue is a dark room, but the lighting over the ring was okay. The crowd was maybe 200.
* C*4 Wrestling held a show a day earlier in nearby Ottawa, so a LOT of the wrestlers on that show (which I previously watched and reviewed) are on this one as well.
1. Marcus Mathers vs. Zak Patterson. I’ve noted before that Zak has a massive, muscular physique. He’s not as sculpted as Brian Cage, but he’s big and agile like that. They locked up and Mathers easily backed him into a corner. He hit a leg lariat that dropped Mathers, and he did some push-ups at 2:00, then choked Marcus in the ropes. Mathers hit his mule kick to the jaw for a nearfall. Mathers hit a running penalty kick on the ring apron, and they brawled at ringside. Back in the ring, Zak was in charge, as he choked Marcus in the ropes and he hit some knee lifts to the ribs.
Zak hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee at 6:30. He stayed in charge and kept Mathers grounded. Marcus finally hit a top-rope twisting crossbody block at 9:00. He nailed his corner fadeaway stunner for a believable nearfall, and they were both down. Zak hit a discus forearm strike for a nearfall at 11:30. Mathers went for a Canadian Destroyer but Zak blocked it and hit a ‘Dead Eye’ piledriver along his back for a nearfall at 13:00. Nice! Mathers hit a shotgun dropkick. He hit a Poison Rana! He nailed his fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 15:30.
Zak dropped him with a hard clothesline. Mathers came off the ropes but Zak caught him with a knee to the back, then his release F5 for a believable nearfall at 17:00. They fought on the ropes; Mathers dropped underneath and hit a powerbomb with a jackknife cover for a believable nearfall. He hit a superkick and this time he hit the Canadian Destroyer! He nailed the top-rope 450 Splash for the pin! That was incredibly good. I had high expectations and they topped them.
Marcus Mathers defeated Zak Patterson at 19:23.
2. “Chocolate City” Dru Onyx and Wilson Colas vs. “Dominion” John Riviere and Kaito Yamanashi vs. Loc Bouchard and Pat McHaggis in a three-way tag match. I’m not familiar with these local talents. Without English commentary, I can’t tell who is who. So I opted to skip this one.
“Chocolate City” Dru Onyx and Wilson Colas defeated “Dominion” John Riviere and Kaito Yamanashi, and Loc Bouchard and Pat McHaggis.
3. Dreya Mitchell vs. Layla Wilde. I’ve seen both in nearby C*4 Wrestling. Dreya gets the Lash Legend comparison, as a tall, former basketball player. Layla is a powerhouse; think ODB or current indy star J-Rod. Some basic reversals early on. These two are both well taller and stronger than your average female pro wrestler. They got in a knuckle lock at 2:30 and Dreya forced Layla’s shoulders to the mat for some nearfalls. Dreya hit a running boot that dropped Wilde. She stomped on Layla and kept her grounded, and she hit a backbreaker over her knee for a nearfall at 4:30.
Dreya hit a snap suplex, but Layla hit one at 6:30, and they were both down. Dreya hit some clotheslines, but Layla barely budged. Layla hit a leaping clothesline, then a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 8:00. They traded rollups. Dreya hit a German Suplex; she posed and flexed. Wilde came up behind her and hit a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall. She hit some shoulder thrusts in the corner. Dreya hit a Helluva Kick and a Spinebuster for the pin. These two are definitely ones to watch.
Dreya Mitchell defeated Layla Wilde at 9:32.
4. Dustin Waller vs. Junior Benito vs. Ryan Rogan. I’m fairly certain I haven’t seen Rogan before — with his long dark hair and beard, he reminds me of the late Chris Kanyon. Waller and Rogan brawled at ringside early on. In the ring, Dustin hit a series of punches on Junior. Rogan got in and hit some shoulder tackles that sent both opponents flying. He tossed Dustin onto Benito, then got a nearfall on Junior at 3:00. Junior hit a slingshot senton on Rogan. Waller choked Junior in the ropes. He hit a leg lariat for a nearfall at 5:00.
Junior hit an enzuigiri on Waller. Waller hit a Lethal Injection on Junior for a nearfall at 8:00, and suddenly all three were down. They all got on their knees and traded forearm strikes. Junior hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Rogan for a believable nearfall at 10:00, but he missed a 450 splash. Rogan tackled Junior and hit a top-rope moonsault. However, Waller shoved Rogan to the floor and stole the undeserved pin.
Dustin Waller defeated Junior Benito and Ryan Rogan at 10:40.
5. KJ Swayde vs. Maredes vs. Bjorg Haaken vs. Mikey Thunder vs. Tyler Nox vs. Wrecking Ball Legursky in a gauntlet. Legursky is rotund and has competed in NWA; I haven’t watched NWA in a while. I’ve seen Nox before; think NJPW’s Chase Owens. I don’t know the other four. I watched a bit of this but ultimately opted to skip it when some garbage cans and weapons came out.
Bjorg Haaken defeated KJ Swayde, Maredes, Mikey Thunder, Tyler Nox and Wrecking Ball Legursky.
6. “Northern Thunder” London Lightning and Storm Ryder vs. Corey Duke and Shawn Knyte. Knyte is usually with his Haven teammate Jay Onyx, and I doubt he’s teamed with cowboy Duke before. Northern Thunder are heels here! The tall Ryder (I’ve compared him to a young Adam Bomb) opened against Duke. Knyte hit a huracanrana and a dropkick on Lightning at 2:00 and tied London up on the mat. Duke and Knyte hit team armdrags. They hit stereo dropkicks at 4:30. Knyte hit a dive to the floor.
In the ring, Northern Thunder tied up Duke on the mat and worked him over. Ryder hit a back suplex at 7:30. Duke was selling pain in his left knee. The NT kept making quick tags and stomped on Duke’s damaged leg. London applied a half-crab. Duke got up and hit some jab punches, but London re-applied the half-crab at 10:00. Knyte finally got the hot tag and hit a flying back elbow for a nearfall. They traded rollups.
London and Ryder hit stereo discus forearm strikes on Duke for a believable nearfall at 13:00. London applied a Trailer Hitch leg lock on Duke. Duke hit a DVD on Ryder, then one on London, but was hobbled on his damaged knee. They fought on the ropes in the corner. Knyte hit a Sling Blade clothesline. Duke hit a top-rope flying knee drop. Knyte hit a moonsault for the pin! A mild upset!
Corey Duke and Shawn Knyte defeated “Northern Thunder” London Lightning and Storm Ryder at 16:15.
7. Bjorg Haaken (w/Shane Pinto) vs. Mathis Myre for the interim Victory Ring Heritage Title. I am just going to presume that Bjorg winning that gauntlet earlier earned him the right to be in this match. (Again, FRENCH commentary!) Myre has short, trimmed hair and looks a lot like Daniel Garcia. Bjorg is bald and looks a lot like Shawn Spears. He’s the heel and be beat down Myre early on. Fairly basic back-and-forth action between them for several minutes.
Bjorg hit a Bulldog Powerslam at 6:00. Myre hit a running powerbomb at 8:00, then a Cody-style Disaster Kick for a nearfall, but Bjorg reached the ropes. Myre went to the top rope, but Vanessa Kraven came to ringside and grabbed his ankle. Bjorg hit a clothesline and an Air Raid Crash for the pin. Okay match. Bjorg celebrated with his belt.
Bjorg Haaken defeated Mathis Myre to win the interim Victory Ring Heritage Title at 9:01.
8. Stu Grayson vs. Jonathan Gresham for the Victory Ring Title. A rare match where Stu has the height advantage, but Gresham is so thick he might have the weight advantage. They shook hands after the bell. Cagematch.net is showing they met in a scramble earlier this year, but this is a first-ever singles match. Intense lockups with neither man taking control early on. Gresham tied up the left arm. Gresham kicked out the left elbow at 6:00 and hit an arm drag. They stayed on the mat as Gresham tied both of Stu’s arms behind his back.
Gresham hit an enzuigiri at 9:00, and they were both down. Stu fired up and hit some forearm strikes. He hit a moonsault for a nearfall. Gresham hit a huracanrana and some loud chops. They traded forearm strikes while holding each other’s left wrists. Stu hit a twisting plancha to the floor at 13:30. In the ring, he hit a Mafia Kick, then an impressive top-rope 450 Splash for a nearfall, but Northern Thunder pulled the ref to the floor!
Stu hit a double Pele Kick on them. Stu put Gresham in a Torture Rack and set up for his backbreaker over the knee. However, Gresham got a rollup! Lightning and Ryder reached into the ring and held down Stu’s ankles so he couldn’t kick out! Gresham got the pin but was clearly unaware he was getting some outside interference. After the bell, Stu and Gresham beat them up and cleared the ring, and then they shook hands.
Jonathan Gresham defeated Stu Grayson to win the Victory Ring Title at 14:39.
Final Thoughts: Mathers-Patterson blew away everything else on this show. Yeah, if you can’t be the main event, you might as well steal the show as the opener. The Northern Thunder tag earns second, and definitely a surprise win from the makeshift team. Dustin Waller’s three-way match takes third.
The usual comment (not a complaint really) is that Gresham’s matches start really slow with a lot of mat-based reversals. I could have joined the match at the eight-minute mark and felt like I hadn’t missed a thing. The final few minutes were pretty good.
Of the other matches, both of those women are worth checking out. I know Dreya has made at least one trek to the United States. Neither of the guys in the co-main event did much that interested me. It wasn’t bad, but I’m not clamoring to see either guy again. If you don’t mind French commentary (or do as I did and just turn it down), you definitely want to check out the opener.
Be the first to comment