By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, Impact Wrestling, MLW, ROH, GCW, and other notable live events. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com
WrestlePro “Septembrawl”
September 9, 2022 in Rahway, New Jersey at the Rahway Rec Center
Replay available via FITE TV
The ring was lit, but the fans were in the shadows. Josh Shernoff was on commentary. The venue appears to be a gymnasium, as the ceiling is really high.
* Aaron Rourke hit the ring. He was angry that he was not booked for this show. His character is like an angry Raven, mixed with Alex Shelley and Darby Allin. TJ Crawford hit the ring. The commentators said Crawford had been out with an ACL injury.
1. TJ Crawford defeated Aaron Rourke at 9:32. Rourke worked over Crawford’s repaired knee. Crawford has short blond hair and is of average height/size. Crawford hit a nice full nelson suplex, then a modified Go To Sleep for the pin. Decent action.
2. Justin Corino defeated KC Navarro at 7:14. Corino is tall, bald, and has a beard. The commentators acknowledged that Navarro is now a free agent (his MLW deal has expired). Corino has a significant height and overall size advantage. KC hit a flip dive over the top rope to the floor. In the ring, Corino got a rollup with a handful of tights for the tainted pin.
* Backstage interview with Australian female wrestler Nina Cross. She pointed out she had wins over some other top women’s wrestlers.
3. Brandi Lauren defeated Harley Cameron in a women’s tournament match at 6:08. Lauren was cut from NXT a year ago, and she had an all-too short run in Impact, too. Cameron recently wrestled on AEW Dark, and she high-fived the fans. Lauren hit a stunner for a nearfall at 5:00. Lauren placed Harley’s legs on the top rope and hit a swinging neckbreaker to the mat for the pin. OK action.
4. Fallah Bahh defeated World Famous CB (f/k/a Cheeseburger), Colton Charles, Leo Sparrow, Victor Benjamin, and Yoscifer El in a six-way scramble at 7:09. I don’t know four of these guys so here’s my quick thoughts. Sparrow, a vegan, threw lettuce at the fans and was booed. Made my think of Juice Robinson’s NXT “CJ Parker” gimmick. Colton Charles wore the singlet and made me think of a cross between Will Hobbs and Shelton Benjamin. Victor Benjamin looks like Tyson Tomko. Yoscifier is a Berzerker-meets-Luchasaurus. Bahh came out last and got quick the babyface pop. I love Bahh, but he needs to lose some weight for his own health. It looks like he can barely move.
Bahh overpowered Colton in the corner. They did the spot where everyone has a headscissorslock on an opponent, but Ballah rolled across all five opponents. Funny. Colten hit a Tour of the Island powerbomb on Sparrow. CB hit his palm strike on El. Victor hit a German release suplex. Bahh hit a Whoopee Cushion buttdrop on Sparrow for the pin. The youngsters created a lot of movement here, keeping the match flowing. I don’t want to see a wrestler ever have a heart attack in the ring, but Bahh looks dangerously unhealthy.
* A guy with heavy Vampiro-like facepaint that comes onto his upper chest and shoulders hit the ring and gave Fallah Bahh a spinebuster. While the commentators claimed they didn’t know who he was, I know it is a wrestler named Steve Gibke, as he had this look at an Aug. 6 Battleground Championship Wrestling show at the old ECW Arena in Philadelphia.
5. LSG defeated Jimmy Jacobs at 9:03. Jacobs wore a tiara on his head. Intense lockups and mat reversals early on. Jacobs dove through the ropes at 2:00 and they battled on the floor. Unfortunately, it is really dark out of the ring and hard to see. In the ring, Jacobs hit a Stomp at 5:00. LSG went for a springboard move but Jacobs cut him in half with a nice spear. These two are clicking; I’m sure they wrestled a lot in ROH. Jacobs choked LSG with his chain. LSG fired up and he hit a plancha to the floor. In the ring, LSG hit a springboard crossbody block for the pin.
6. Zack Clayton defeated GPA at 8:15. Yes, GPA is an accountant, so he is dressed like Irwin R. Schyster. Zack attacked at the bell and he’s the heel. GPA dropped him with a Polish Hammer; that’s a rarely seen move. Clayton dominated the match with basic offense. GPA finally hit a top-rope missile dropkick. Two guys jumped on the ring apron to distract GPA, allowing Zack to hit an Angle Slam for the pin.
Intermission Match: Scarlett Bordeaux defeated Freya the Slaya at 6:37. This intermission match is from the Alaska show this winter I previously reviewed, but I’m including it here. I am a big fan of giving viewers at home a “bonus match” to watch rather than a blank screen during intermission. Pro Wrestling Revolver does a great job of this. Scarlett got a rollup with her feet on the ropes for the tainted pin.
7. Eight rookies hit the ring for a four-on-four tag match that ended via disqualification at 4:00. None of them got on-screen name identifications. They tried hard, and the fans were patient. A tall Samoan man, with the same build as Jacob Fatu, hit the ring and beat up all eight rookies, causing a DQ. I have no problem with this as the popcorn match coming out of a break.
8. Josh Woods defeated Traxx at 8:13. I’ve said this before, but with his bald head, good muscle build and the deep cut of the singlet, Traxx reminds me of Ryback. An intense lockup to start, then they brawled to ringside. In the ring, Traxx dominated with basic offense. Woods nailed a running kneestrike in the corner for a nearfall at 5:00. Traxx nailed a spear in the corner. Woods hit a double-arm spinning faceplant for a nearfall then a running judo chop to the back of the head. Woods nailed the Go To Sleep for the pin. Decent match.
9. Lady Frost defeated Queen Aminata at 9:59. Good reversals early, and Aminata has a height advantage. She hit a hard chop at 4:00 that dropped Lady Frost, then a snap suplex for a nearfall. Aminata applied a belly-to-belly bearhug. Aminta hit a backbreaker over her knee and was dominating. Lady Frost did a cartwheel into a cannonball in the corner at 8:00. Frost celebrated in the corner, but Aminata snuck up beind her, pulled her opp the ropes, and hit another hard backbreaker over her knee. Frost nailed a spin kick to the head, then a top-rope moonsault for the pin. That was a strong, impressive showing for both women.
10. GKM defeated Flip Gordon, Matt McIntosh, and Tyler Payne in a four-way at 10:31. I only know Flip here. I’ll compare GKM to Kofi Kingston, McIntosh to David Finlay and Payne to long-haired Rick Boogz. All three have good physiques. Flip got the star treatment, coming out last, but he’s working as a heel here. Flip got superkicked seconds into the match and rolled to the floor. Flip got back in and hit a standing moonsault on one leg on GKM for a nearfall at 3:30. McIntosh hit an impressive flip dive to the floor on everyone.
They did a nice tower spot out of the corner at 7:00, with Flip on top and crashing hard to the mat. McIntosh slammed Payne chin-first on the middle turnbuckle. McIntosh hit a nice powerbomb with a jackknife rollup on GKM for a believable nearfall. GKM hit a stunner on Payne for the pin. I was particularly impressed with McIntosh and GKM here.
12. Danny Maff defeated Brian Myers at 17:31. A video package aired showing the feud between them. They immediately brawled out of the ring and up into the bleachers. In the ring, Myers choked Maff with a T-shirt at 7:30, and this has been basic brawling. Myers slowed him down on the mat with a headlock. Maff nailed a senton splash at 10:30, then a rolling cannonball in the corner for a nearfall.
Myers escaped a Burning Hammer and hit a pele kick and a DDT for a nearfall. Myers charged him, but Maff caught him with a stunner for a believable nearfall at 12:30. Myers hit a Flatliner for a nearfall. The ref got bumped; Maff hit a Burning Hammer for a visual pinfall but there wasn’t a ref to make the count. Myers threw powder in Maff’s eyes. A new ref hit the ring, but the blinded Maff picked him up and gave the ref a Burning Hammer. Myers hit a spear for a believable nearfall at 16:00. They traded open-hand slaps, then chops and forearms. Myers hit a superkick. Maff hit a clothesline, then the Burning Hammer for the pin.
Final Thoughts: A solid show, but admittedly nothing that was a show-stealer, must-see match. I really enjoyed that four-way, and saw some intriguing new talent there, and I’ll give that best match.
Jacobs-LSG really clicked for me in the undercard, and that earned second-best.I first met Jimmy Jacobs circa 2003, and for nearly 20 years, I’ve come to the same conclusion: if he was 6’2″, he would have been a star. Few wrestlers have done such a good job telling a story in the ring and reinventing their character like him.
I’ll give the impressive Lady Frost-Queen Aminata third-best. The main event was solid, paint-by-numbers stuff, not bad at all.
Be the first to comment