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
Freelance Wrestling held “The Last of Us”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
May 12, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois at Irving Hall
The show was held in a small room with a packed crowd of 250-300 fans. There is a second level, and the hard camera is there, giving us a view down into the ring. Dave Prazak and K-Mel provided commentary…
1. “The Bang Bros” Davey Bang and August Matthews defeated “Wasted Youth” Marcus Mathers and Dyln McKay to retain the Freelance Tag Team Titles at 13:32. These teams are both high-flying youngsters, and the BB are the hometown favorites. WY are coming off a match against the SAT a night early in Chicago. Mathers and August opened, with Marcus hitting a big shoulder tackle. Dyln and Bang entered at 2:30 and picked up the speed. WY began working over Bang in their corner. Bang made the hot tag at 7:00 and hit a stunner, then a handspring-back-elbow on McKay.
The Bang Bros both hit dives to the floor at 9:00. In the ring, Marcus hit a series of kicks on August and a mid-ring Spanish Fly. McKay and Bang hit simultaneous 450 splashes, and everyone was down. They traded mid-ring forearm shots. The Bang Bros went for their Ride the Bus team spear, but McKay avoided it and hit a Death Valley Driver. McKay hit a tombstone piledriver on Bang for a believable nearfall at 12:00. Bang nailed a Poison Rana on Mathers. Bang hit the Ride the Bus team spear! Bang and Matthews hit simultaneous 450 Splashes for pins. Excellent high-flying opener.
2. Bryan Keith defeated Devon Monroe to retain the Freelance Legacy Title at 13:22. Monroe is Black with the exact same look of Sonny Kiss and is wildly popular. Monroe hit some quick reversals and armdrags, then a dropkick for a nearfall at 4:00. Keith took control of the offense, hitting a Saito Suplex for a nearfall at 9:00. Keith hit an Exploder Suplex. Monroe hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall at 11:00. Keith nailed a stunner, then a brainbuster, but he clutched at his left knee after the move and he couldn’t make the cover. Monroe hit the top-rope corkscrew press. Keith hit a running knee to the jaw, then the Tiger Suplex for the clean pin. Good match.
3. Shane Mercer (w/James Russo) vs. Craig Mitchell ended in a double disqualification or a no-contest at 12:29. I always compare the muscular Mercer to Brian Cage because of his athleticism and ability to keep up with the smaller guys. Mitchell is a big, wide body; not heavy but really thick. Mitchell charged at him and they brawled on the mat, then rolled to the floor and traded chops against the guardrails. Mercer got on the ring apron, but Mitchell sent him flying to the ground at 3:30. In the ring, Mitchell hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall.
Mercer picked up Mitchell at 6:00 and did a military press over his head! “Craig Mitchell is no small man!” Prazak shouted. Mercer peeled up Mitchell’s shirt and chopped him. Mitchell took off his shirt and pulled the straps down on his singlet, allowing Mercer to chop him some more, but Mercer instead just punched him. Mitchell hit a shotgun dropkick and a Boss Man sideslam, then a senton for a nearfall at 9:30. Mitchell hit a standing moonsault. (This is on par to seeing Willie Mack hit one. Wow!)
Russo slid a chair in the ring. Mercer went to use it but the ref confiscated it. Mercer shoved the ref to the mat. Mitchell picked up the chair and hit Mercer with it. They brawled to the floor, and the ref called for the bell. The fans chanted, “let them fight!” Several wrestlers ran into the ring to separate them.
4. Storm Grayson defeated Chris Bey to retain the Freelance Title at 15:36. Again, Grayson has appeared on WWE TV and has long, curly black hair, similar to Alex Reynolds. Bey got a hero’s welcome. Intense lockups early and Grayson hit a dropkick at 3:00. Bey choked Grayson in the ropes and he was in charge of the offense. Bey applied a rear-naked choke, but Grayson slammed Bey’s back into the corner at 8:30.
Grayson nailed a missile dropkick and a modified Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Bey hit a Fame-asser legdrop for a nearfall at 11:30. Grayson hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Grayson dove through the ropes, with them both landing deep into the rows of chairs, and fans chanted, “holy shit!” They both barely got back in the ring before being counted out at 14:00. Bey hit a stunner for a nearfall. Grayson got a running kneestrike in the ropes and a jackknife cover for the pin. Good match.
* A short intermission was edited out of the replay and we headed to the main event!
5. Craig Mitchell won a 30-person royal rumble to earn become No. 1 contender at 49:33. This was listed as a battle royal, but it is a WWE-style rumble; unfortunately, no names were displayed on the screen. Trevor Outlaw drew #1; he’s the short guy with a goatee that reminds me of Marty Scurll or Josh Woods, and storyline, “2023 has been a rough year.” Dan Perch, the referee, is #2! The crowd popped for this. Perch charged at Outlaw and flipped him out at the bell! Funny. Outlaw threw a fit at ringside. Orlandi is #3; he charged at Perch, but Perch ducked and Orlandi flew over the top rope to be eliminated.
Shane Mercer is #4. “The fun lasted for a bit,” K-Mel said. Mercer got on the mic and told Perch to leave the ring or he will die. Mercer did a miitary press and tossed Perch onto a group of fans (obviously plants ready to make the catch) over a corner at 5:30. Robby Reeves is #5; he’s a young kid with short black hair. Gunner Brave is #6. Mercer was beating up both of them. Sorta Incredible Iverson is #7; he’s the kid who thinks he’s a super hero, and Mercer just beat him last month here. Dan the Dad is #8 and he got a nice pop; he hit the ring and threw some punches while still holding onto his coffee cup. So, we have five in the ring.
Kody Lane is #9. (Lane and Dan the Dad just got back from a Japan wrestling tour days ago, which Prazak acknowledged.) Darin Corbin, the red-headed MN native, entered as #10 at 13:30. Corbin tossed Reeves. Craig Mitchell is #11 and he charged at Mercer and clotheslined him to the floor to eliminate Shane at 15:00. Gunner Brave was tossed, and the angry Mercer beat up Brave. Mercer jumped in the ring and hit Mitchell with a chair, then Shane left. Prazak and K-Mel were worried that Shane just cost Mitchell a chance at winning. Shazza McKenzie entered at #12 and she hit a Saito Suplex on Corbin, then suplexes on several others.
GPA is #13 and he attacked Shazza from behind and stomped on her, getting loudly booed. She hit several Saito Suplexes on GPA. Laynie Luck is #14; she and GPA worked together to stomp on Shazza, and they kissed. Shazza hit her splits-stunner on both Laynie and GPA. I see eight in the ring. Iverson was tossed by GPA. August Matthews is #15 but he was selling a rib injury. Wes Barkley is #16. Davey Bang is #17, just in time to help teammate, August, and the Bang Bros began superkicking everyone.
Koda Hernandez is #18; he has short black hair. Lane was eliminated. Acid Jaz is #19; he is a Black man and reminds me of JTG. Big O’Possum is #20; think Shark Boy with a full body outfit and he’s meant to be cartoonish. He dropped and “played possum (dead).” He got up and tossed Barkley at 30:30. Silliness. Isaiah Velasquez is #21. Corbin was tossed; his foot was caught in the ropes but he eventually fell to the floor. Sabin Gauge is #22; he hit a nice springboard moonsault and a mid-ring Spanish Fly. GPA accidentally hit (fiancee) Laynie! Laynie tossed August at 34:00!
Marino T is #23; he’s the guy with the short curly blond hair that reminds me of Kenny Omega. Velasquez was tossed. We have at least 11 still in the ring. Cole Radrick is #24. Laynie accidentally eliminated GPA!! Philly C (Marino’s partner!) hit the ring at #25 at 37:30, and they worked together to toss Acid Jaz. Dan the Dad took off his shirt and danced with Marino and Philly. Silliness. The masked Mojo McQueen (think Papa Shango) is #26, and he tossed Radrick (making Mojo a babyface in my eyes.) Mojo hit an Abyss-style Black Hole Slam and tossed Philly C. Matt Knicks is #27. McQueen picked up Marino T and gave him a Razor’s Edge to the floor, with Marino landing on teammate Philly C.
Mojo tossed Sabin Gauge. Shawn Galaway is #28. He wore his Irish-flavored green pants. Big O’Possum eliminated himself after a confrontation with Mojo at 43:30. Darius Latrell is #29; he’s the tall Black man who looks like a basketball player, and he stood nose-to-nose with Mojo McQueen; everyone else cowered on the mat as those two fought. Galaway was tossed. Mojo tossed Latrell! Everyone left in the ring tried to work together to toss Mojo McQueen but he fought free. Chico Suave is the final entrant at 46:30; he apparently won a pre-show match to earn #30. Everyone worked together again to toss McQueen. Knicks got tossed. Koda got tossed. Chico got tossed. This was rapid-fire.
We are suddenly down to just four in the ring. Laynie and Shazza fought on the top rope in the corner. Dan the Dad and Shazza were both tossed by Laynie, leaving just Laynie and Craig Mitchell. She hit a Canadian Destroyer; she tried to pick up Mitchell but he’s just too big for her to move. She tried to put him on her back; he escaped and pushed her over the top rope to the floor to win.
* By winning, Craig Mitchell gets a title shot against Storm Grayson on June 9.
Final Thoughts: A fun show. I am a sucker for both single-night tournaments and royal rumble style matches. Chris Bey brought some star power to the show. Mercer is just a beast and an indy standout. The opener was a fast-paced high-flying affair that got the show started on the right pace.
Be the first to comment