By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Awesome Championship Wrestling “Mischief, Night 2”
October 17, 2026, in Poughkeepsie, New York, at the MJN Convention Center
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
They have consistently drawn crowds of about 1,700 spectators. The lighting is pretty good, and the entrance stage area is top-notch for an indy. Dave Sturchio and Big Sal E. Graz provided commentary. The commentary track is much, much better than the last show I reviewed, too! (Sal’s mic was far too quiet, but the sound is better.) We have a clean, new canvas with the ACW logo in the center of the mat.
1. Real1 vs. Buddy Thomas vs. Liamo. Real1, of course, is best known as Enzo Amore. Two unknown opponents were already in the ring, and they didn’t get on-screen graphics. Real1 cut a typical promo. Liamo, wearing white trunks, attacked Real 1. Buddy wore an ugly blue one-piece. He walked the top rope while holding an umbrella. Real1 hit a running punt kick to Buddy’s ribs. Liamo set up for a dive, but Real1 struck him. Real1 crotched both guys on the guardrail at ringside. Real 1 picked up Liamo and ran him shoulders-first into the ring post.
In the ring, Real1 hit a running kick to the side of Buddy’s head for a nearfall at 4:30. Liamo came off the ropes, but Enzo caught him and hit a stunner. Real1 hit a German Suplex on Buddy. Liamo hit a Lungblower at 6:00, and all three were down at 6:00. Real1 hit an ugly Eat D’Feat on Buddy. However, Liamo threw Real1 to the floor and stole the pin on Buddy! That was unexpected.
Liamo defeated Buddy Thomas and Real1 at 6:56.
* A woman interviewed J-Rod and Janai Kai in the locker room. J-Rod vowed to win; Janai simply snickered under her breath and walked away.
2. J-Rod vs. Janai Kai. J-Rod came out with a girl, perhaps age eight. (She certainly could be J-Rod’s daughter. She’s dressed just like J-Rod in the ‘American Gladiator’ outfit, and has similar looks.) Standing switches early, and Janai landed a kick to the chest. J-Rod rolled to the floor and was holding her chest in pain. In the ring, she dropped Janai snake-eyes in the corner and hit a Mafia Kick for a nearfall at 1:30. J-Rod unloaded some chops, too, then a clothesline. She hit a stiff kick to Janai’s spine; Janai demanded another!
Janai flipped J-Rod to the mat at 3:00 and hit her own stiff kick to the spine. J-Rod hit a brainbuster for a nearfall, then a hard clothesline. She mockingly did some jumping jacks before tying up Kai on the mat. Kai hit a running Helluva Kick at 5:00 and more spin kicks to the back. J-Rod hit a spinebuster, but Janai hit a running knee for a nearfall at 7:00. J-Rod cut her in half with a spear, then hit a Samoan Drop for the pin. I enjoyed that.
J-Rod defeated Janai Kai at 7:18.
* A woman interviewed Zack Clayton backstage. He was supposed to face Flip Gordon, but Flip has (legitimately) re-enlisted and is now overseas. Zack said Flip is a coward for running away from him. Zack has issued an open challenge! I’ll point out that Zack has dyed his hair darker and he looks so much younger for it! The last time we saw him in AEW, he was really turning silver at a premature age. He headed to the ring first! He got on the mic and again made fun of Flip for not being there. The crowd chanted, “USA!” in response. He vowed to beat whoever came out.
3. Zack Clayton vs. (mystery opponent) Max Caster for the ACW National Title. The Greatest Wrestler Alive came to the ring, and the commentators went nuts for this surprise! Zack attacked before Max even removed the jacket; Max didn’t get to speak! Max clotheslined Clayton to the floor and finally removed his jacket. (I did hear at least one fan try a “You got fired!” chant but most fans were cheering Caster.) Zack snapped Max’s throat over the top rope. He hit a shoulder tackle at 1:30, but Max hit an Atomic Drop and a dropkick.
They fought to the floor. They got back into the ring, but Zack clotheslined him back to the floor at 3:00. Back in the ring, Zack hit a suplex and a hard back elbow, and he tied up Max on the mat. Clayton hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 4:30, but he missed a spear into the corner and hurt his shoulder. Max hit a clothesline and a big back-body drop, then a Death Valley Driver, but he missed the top-rope Mic Drop. Clayton got a rollup, reached back and held the ropes for added leverage, and scored the tainted pin. Fine for how long it lasted.
Zack Clayton defeated Max Caster to retain the ACW National Title at 6:26.
* Max got on the mic! “Yo! Yo! Yo! Listen.” He asked if everyone was aware of what happened with him last week. “In the span of one day, I started a contract, and ended a contract, with TNA wrestling,” he said. He apologized to a lot of people, but he said he didn’t get to apologize to the fans. He appreciates the support. “I love you, and I thank you. I don’t know what my next move is. But I will be stepping away from the ring for an extended period of time. So I’m going to go home and go to therapy until I get it right.” He won’t be back until being in the ring feels like being at home.
4. Mance Warner vs. Marcus Mathers in a hardcore match. Cagematch.net shows these two have shared the ring eight times, with Mance 1-0 in singles action. I’ve seen Marcus do hardcore matches, but not during the time he was under WWE ID contract. (I don’t know if ID prohibited that — just acknowledging it’s been at least two years since he’s done a match like this.) Mance attacked from behind; Marcus still had his robe on. Mance grabbed the mic and told Mathers never to turn his back on Ol’ Mancer. He stomped on Marcus and hit some chops.
Mathers hit a dropkick at 1:30. He hit his Mule Kick to the chest, and he dove through the ropes onto Mance on the floor. They fought on the floor and looped ringside. Mance threw him onto an open chair against the guardrail at 3:30. Mance took a broom away from a janitor. He swung at Marcus but hit the janitor! Marcus whipped Mance into the guardrail. Marcus got in the ring and set up for a dive, but Warner struck him with a garbage can. In the ring, Mance chokeslammed him onto the garbage can for a nearfall at 5:30.
Marcus whipped Mance head-first into a chair wedged in the corner. Marcus hit some clotheslines and a bodyslam. Marcus grabbed a title belt from a fan in the front row, and he struck Warner in the head with it and got a nearfall at 7:30. Marcus threw one chair onto a chair over Mance’s body and got a nearfall. They got up and traded punches. Mathers blocked a running knee. Mance hit a hard clothesline at 10:30. Marcus kicked him in the chest, but Mance nailed the running knee for a nearfall.
Mance got a door from under the ring, but Mathers dropkicked onto the door to push it into Warner. In the ring, Mance hit a DDT onto the door for a nearfall at 12:00. He erected a door bridge. They fought on the ropes, and Mance hit a superplex through the door bridge for a nearfall. Mance was livid he didn’t win there! They hit each other with the door debris. (Sal has one bad pun after another. He thinks this is ‘a-door-able.) Mance hit a low-blow punt kick, then he immediately rolled up Mathers for the tainted pin. Fine hardcore match that never got gross or bloody.
Mance Warner defeated Marcus Mathers in a hardcore match at 14:42.
5. Mook Vetrano and Stock Vetrano vs. “Sent2Slaughter” Danny Maff and Shawn Donovan (w/Josh Schernauf). I have not seen the Vetrano brothers before; they are of average size. Cagematch.net shows the Vetranos have 81 matches under their belt, starting in 2023. Sent2Slaughter came out to “Bad Company” by Five Finger Death Punch. S2S have a significant height and muscle mass advantage over the brothers. Donovan opened and knocked a Vetrano down with a shoulder block. (It doesn’t appear the commentators know which brother is which.)
Shawn got on the mic and badmouthed the crowd before he hit an elbow drop. Maff entered and hit some chops. (I will again reiterate that Maff’s weight loss is astounding. He looks better now than in his ROH run in the early 2000s.) Okay, I can see this one is “Mook” because it’s written across his butt. Maff pushed Mook into Stock, forcing Stock to reluctantly tag in! Stock hit a punch! Maff stomped on Stock and kept him grounded. Maff hit a Burning Hammer on one Vetrano, while Shawn slammed the other one for the pin. Just an extended squash, but that’s fine.
“Sent2Slaughter” Danny Maff and Shawn Donovan defeated Mook Vetrano and Stock Vetrano at 5:30.
* Maff had a briefcase with the ACW logo on it. What’s this about? They boasted that Josh Schernauff had retired Tommy Dreamer. They handed Josh a title belt and bowed to him. The lights went out, and we heard a horse. “The Midnight Dreamer is coming!” a voice said. On the screen was an animated horse and rider. He’s coming soon!
6. Fear vs. Leo Sparrow vs. Jordan Oliver in a three-way for the ACW Cruiserweight Title. (Oliver’s teammate, Alec Price, is at the Blitzkrieg Pro show a few hours away in Connecticut.) Fear has white-and-black face paint (think Danhausen but not as goofy), and he came out to “Push It” by rockers Static-X. Jordan is 6’3″ and much taller than both opponents, and he hit some shoulder tackles. Fear hit a leaping sidewalk slam on Sparrow. Sal complained that Jordan is “over the height limit” to be a cruiserweight champion.
Leo clotheslined Fear ot the floor at 2:30. Leo hit an Asai Moonsault on Oliver. Fear hit a flip dive onto both of them, landing on his feet! In the ring, Sparrow hit a Bronco Buster on Fear. Leo suplexed Fear onto Oliver at 4:30. Sparrow got a bag from under the ring, and he dumped a bag of plastic vampire teeth on the mat! However, Oliver gave Leo a back-body drop onto the plastic teeth, and they were all down at 6:30. They all got up and traded punches. Fear hit a flapjack on Oliver. He slammed Sparrow for a nearfall.
Oliver hit a Mafia Kick on Fear, then one on Sparrow for a nearfall. Oliver set up for an Acid Bomb on Fear, but Sparrow made the save. Leo hit a Frankensteiner on Fear, and Leo got a nearfall on Oliver. Nice move. He hit a top-rope flying elbow on a standing Fear for a nearfall. They traded rollups. Oliver hit a double German Suplex, and they were all down at 9:30, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Oliver and Fear traded chops. Fear dropped him with a spin kick, but Oliver hit a dropkick.
Sparrow came off the top rope, but Jordan caught him with a picture-perfect dropkick! Oliver set up for the Acid Bomb, but Sparrow turned it into a rollup for a nearfall. Oliver slammed Fear, then he hit a DDT on Sparrow. He finally hit the Acid Bomb on Fear, but Sparrow threw kale leaves in Oliver’s face! Leo hit his coast-to-coast Lionsault on Fear, then a DDT for the pin on Fear! New champion! Good action.
Leo Sparrow defeated Fear and Jordan Oliver in a three-way to win the ACW Cruiserweight Title at 12:36.
* Ben Bishop was introduced.
7. Richard Holliday (w/Ben Bishop) vs. Matt Riddle. Richard had a full “Harry Potter” video before he emerged, dressed like the wizard. That’s unique. “I can officially say we’ve seen it all,” Sturchio said. They cautiously tied up and got in a knuckle lock. Richard set up for His Signature Move (the low blow uppercut), but Riddle saw it and avoided it. Matt went for a cross-armbreaker, and he hit a gutwrench suplex at 2:00. On the floor, Bishop rammed Riddle spine-first into the ring post, then threw him back in. Holliday stomped on Riddle and kept him grounded.
Riddle hit a bodyslam at 4:00, but Holliday dropped him face-first into the middle turnbuckle. Bishop choked Matt. Riddle hit a fisherman’s buster, and they were both down at 5:30. He hit an Exploder Suplex out of the corner and a senton, then a running Penalty Kick. He hit an Orton-style DDT out of the ropes, and he pounded on the mat, a la Orton. Holliday blocked a stunner, and he hit his own stunner, then a powerbomb for a nearfall at 7:30. Holliday put Riddle across his shoulders and hit another neckbreaker.
Riddle hit a Go To Sleep and a standing powerbomb, then a running knee to the jaw for a nearfall, but Bishop put Holliday’s foot on the ropes! Holliday got a rollup, but the ref was distracted by BIshop! The ref got bumped. Riddle hit a German Suplex for a visual pin, but we had no ref! Bishop got in the ring and stomped on Riddle. Bishop accidentally hit a Mafia Kick on Holliday! Riddle immediately hit an RK-Bro stunner on Bishop, then one on Holliday for the pin! Fun match.
Matt Riddle defeated Richard Holliday at 10:18.
* Riddle left. Holliday and Bishop argued. Before they started fighting, a video played on the screen. Former WCW World Champion David Arquette spoke; he’s angry that Holliday eliminated him from a Rumble, and he’s coming back to get revenge! We had another video, as Nic Nemeth appeared, and he told Holliday and Bishop he’s coming back in January to face them, and he has a surprise partner! The videos ended, so Bishop and Holliday shook hands. All is forgiven!
* Matt Hardy was our special guest referee for the next match! He came out first in his referee shirt.
8. “The Now” Vik Delishous and Hale Collins vs. “The Righteous” Vincent and Dutch for the ACW Tag Team Titles with Matt Hardy as special referee. The Now are muscular, but I admittedly am not a fan. All four fought at the bell, and they immediately went to the floor. Dutch locked up with the shorter, thicker Vik, and those two got back into the ring. The Now hit a team suplex on Dutch at 1:30. From the apron, Vincent hit Hale, and it allowed Dutch to hit a clothesline on Hale. The Righteous worked Collins over in their corner. They hit stereo leg drops, and Vincent got a nearfall at 4:30, and he glared at Matt Hardy.
Dutch missed a second-rope senton splash at 6:00. Vik finally got the hot tag, and he brawled with Vincent. Vik nailed a spinebuster for a nearfall. Hale hit a second-rope elbow drop on Vincent for a nearfall. Dutch glared at Matt Hardy as he hit a Twist of Fate! Vincent hit a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall on Hale. ON the floor, Dutch threw Hale face-first into the ring post. In the ring, Vincent shoved Hardy; Matt swung at Vincent, but he accidentally hit Hale! Vincent hit his Orange Sunshine (Sliced Bread) on Hale! Matt reluctantly made the three-count! New champions! Not particularly good, but it didn’t overstay its welcome, either.
“The Righteous” Vincent and Dutch defeated “The Now” Vik Delishous and Hale Collins to win the ACW Tag Team Titles at 8:25.
* A casket was set down on the floor at ringside. This actually looks like a casket and not a poorly-made wooden box.
9. Steph De Lander vs. Shotzi Blackheart vs. Indi Hartwell in a Casket Match for the ACW Women’s Title. SDL started to speak, but Shotzi snatched the mic from her and said, “Nobody wants to hear from you.” Shotzi said, “Tonight is my night. Nobody is scarier than Shotzi Blackheart.” Indi and Steph worked together and tossed her to the floor. In the ring, they hit a team suplex on Shotzi. They tried to put Shotzi in the casket, but she fought free. Shotzi slammed Indi on top of the casket at 1:30. Steph hit some chops on Shotzi, then finally shoved her back into the ring.
Shotzi hit a baseball slide dropkick onto both opponents. She picked up a trash can lid and struck both opponents. In the ring, Shotzi suplexed Indi into the turnbuckles at 4:00. She used a chair to hit a Sabu-style rolling cannonball into the corner. She threw Indi into the casket, but Steph made the save. SDL dropped Shotzi face-first on the apron. In the ring, SDL whipped Shotzi face-first into a chair wedged in the corner, then she hit a snap suplex across two open chairs at 5:30. Indi and Steph hit stereo clotheslines. Indi had a tiny pumpkin, barely bigger than a fist. Shotzi hit a top-rope crossbody block onto both of them.
Shotzi dove through the ropes onto both. She leapt off the apron, but Steph caught her and slammed her back-first against the ring post at 7:00. Shotzi shoved both women in the casket, but as she went to close the lid, Steph blocked it. Steph got the garbage can lid, and she struck each opponent with it. Indi tied Steph in the Tree of Woe, then hit a top-rope elbow drop on Shotzi at 9:30.
Indi put Shotzi in the casket, but Shotzi struck her with a cookie sheet and escaped. Indi hit the “Hurts, Don’t It” slam on Shotzi. Shotzi struck Indi with the title belt. Steph again tried to put Shotzi in the casket at 11:00, but Shotzi threw powder in her eyes! Shotzi put Steph in the casket and slammed it shut to win the match and the title. (Right before the lid closed, I could see Steph had a bloody nose.) Okay brawl.
Shotzi Blackheart defeated Steph De Lander and Indi Hartwell in a Casket Match to win the ACW Women’s Title at 11:20.
10. Killer Kross (w/Scarlett Bordeaux) vs. Joseph Sawyer in a no-DQ match for the ACW Title. Kross didn’t bring any other belts with him. Sawyer immediately hit some punches and a dropkick, then a uranage. He hit some clotheslines in the corner and a DDT at 00:30, then a bodyslam and a senton. He set up for a Sister Abigail swinging faceplant, but Kross escaped and hit some clotheslines and a stunner. He made a DDP “Diamond Cutter” hand gesture, then he hit a back suplex. Sawyer hit a low-blow kick and rolled to the floor at 2:00.
Sawyer struck Kross over the top of the head with a garbage can. He ‘pie-faced’ Scarlett, so she picked up a garbage can and hit Sawyer with it! In the ring, Sawyer struck Kross across the back with a chair at 4:30. Sawyer hit a drop-toe-hold onto an open chair, then a DDT onto the open chair for a nearfall. Kross hit a snap German Suplex for a one-count at 6:00. Kross threw Sawyer backwards onto an upside-down chair at 8:30 — Sawyer was nearly impaled by the chair legs! Kross went under the ring and got a door.
Sawyer hit a hard clothesline. He placed Kross onto a door, then he hit a somersault onto Kross and got a nearfall at 10:30. Sawyer got a door from under the ring and threw it in. However, Kross hit an Exploder Suplex through the door for a nearfall at 12:00. Scarlett got a door! They traded forearm strikes. Sawyer hit a handspring-back-clothesline at 13:30. He slammed a garbage can over Kross’s head a few times. Kross scooped him up and slammed Sawyer back-first through a door in the corner, then scored the pin. Solid brawl that didn’t get gross or bloody.
Killer Kross defeated Joseph Sawyer to retain the ACW Title at 15:34.
* Sawyer continued to beat up Kross. Scarlett jumped on Sawyer’s back, and Kross hit a low-blow kick on Sawyer. Indi Hartwell came to the ring, and everyone looked at her. However, Samuel Shaw jumped in the ring and attacked Kross. Shaw, Sawyer, and Indi Hartwell beat up Kross and Scarlett! Joseph put a chair around Kross’s neck and was going to ‘Pillmanize’ him! The Righteous ran to the ring to save Sawyer. Scarlett got on the mic and said, “Kross isn’t the only one who can fight.” She challenged Indi and Shaw to a mixed tag match!
Final Thoughts: A fun show. Not a single must-see match, but I enjoyed this. Between Indi and Shaw reuniting and the unexpected appearance of Max Caster, it was a notable show, too. I’ll go with the Leo Sparrow three-way for best, Riddle-Holliday for second, and the main event for third. A three-way casket match was a bit awkward, but they made it work, and that earns honorable mention.
No real complaints; I wish some of the matches like Janai vs. J-Rod were given a few more minutes. I’m not a big fan of The Now, so they wisely kept that match short and to the point. Likewise, Sent2Slaughter don’t do much for me, but I do enjoy a good one-sided squash.
The last ACW show was a pay-per-view on Triller+. This show returned to being free to all Triller+ subscribers. That’s a good sign. I don’t claim to know all of Triller+’s finances, but the last Progress Wrestling show was also free to subscribers, when the one before that was a PPV, too. I want to point out the vastly improved sound again, too. The last show I watched looked good, but the sound was bad. As far as indies go, this has well above-average production values and was an easy watch.
