By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Beyond Wrestling “Mills of the Gods”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
May 28, 2023 in Lowell, Massachusetts at Taffeta Music
This was an afternoon show, so fans could still watch AEW or NXT that evening. This venue looks like a theater or auditorium, and there are fans seated on the stage right next to the ring on the opposite side of the hard camera. The ceiling is low; it looks like wrestlers standing on the top rope could touch the ceiling. Unfortunately, the lighting is quite hit-or-miss; it is well-lit in the center of the ring but darker in the corners and on the floor. Sam Laterna and “Denver Colorado” (yes, that is what he calls himself) provided commentary. The crowd is maybe 200-300.
* Richard Holliday came to the ring, dressed in regular clothes. He got a mic, but before he could speak, Brad Hollister hit the ring. Hollister said that no one here is happy to see Holliday back, and the crowd booed him. “You should have never came back. Go home. No one wants you here!” Hollister shouted in his face. Hollliday turned and left.
1. Brad Hollister defeated Dirty Dango at 10:47. Dango got a babyface pop. Hollister is short and thick, a similar body type as Taz or Sami Callihan. Holister hit a shoulder tackle. Dango hit a suplex at 3:00 and focused on the left arm. Hollister took charge in the ring and hit a running hip attack in the corner for a nearfall at 5:30, and he slowed Dango down with a headlock on the mat. Dango hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall at 9:30. They brawled to the floor and Dango hit a running crossbody block. However, as they got back in the ring, Hollister kicked the ropes to crotch Dango, then Hollister got an inside cradle for the cheap pin!
2. Ryan Clancy defeated Tristan Thai at 7:09. Clancy is the mat wrestler who recently had a good showing against Zack Sabre Jr. Thai is Asian and usually teams with Gabriel Skye; I think this is the first time I’ve seen him in singles action. Clancy hit a flipping senton early on. Thai hit some Yes Kicks to the chest at 3:30. Clancy hit a dropkick. Thai hit a brainbuster across his knee, then a flipping neckbreaker for a nearfall, but he pulled Clancy up at 6:00. The commentators agreed it was a “huge mistake” to not secure the pin. Clancy hit a European Uppercut and a side Russian Legsweep for the pin. Okay action but too short.
3. Teddy Goodz defeated Love, Doug with special guest referee Little Mean Kathleen at 3:30. Again, Doug is the love-struck hillbilly; think NXT’s Brooks Jensen, and LMK is his ever-angry, ever-jealous fiancee. Goodz has short black hair and thick beard. Doug brought flowers and candy to the ring for LMK. However, she got angry and knocked the box of candy from his hands to the floor. She was shrill and livid, claiming she found women’s underwear stuffed in his kneepads (why would he put them there in the first place?). Fans taunted them with “where’s the wedding?” chants. Doug went for a cover; LMK made slow counts.
Doug got the flowers and dropped to his knees; LMK wasn’t having it. She slapped him across the face with the bouquet! Goodz hit a superkick, and LMK made a super-quick count to give Goodz the win. “What did this accomplish?” Denver asked. Again, this is more an angle than a match. Doug got on the mic and said the wedding date would be Aug. 13 at the wrestling show “Americanrana.” She seemed happy with him about this news. Harmless comedy.
4. Ichiban defeated Nolo Kitano at 5:50. Ichiban is the guy who has a mask like El Generico, and I’ve been very impressed with him; he is the Wrestling Open champion, but the belt is not on the line here. Kitano is the “Ghetto Samurai” Black ninja who brings swords to the ring; I’ve typically seen him in New York’s House of Glory wrestling. They started in a karate pose. Nolo hit a dropkick at 1:30; he went for a missile dropkick but Ichiban caught him with a kick on his way down. Nolo hit a Meteora double knees and a tornado DDT for a believable nearfall, then a powerbomb for a nearfall at 4:30. Ichiban fired back with a Canadian Destroyer and a leaping DDT for the pin. Really good for the time given.
5. “Miracle Generation” Dustin Waller & Kylon King defeated “Waves & Curls” Traevon Jordan & Jaylen Brandyn and “The Mane Event” Jay Lyon & Midas Black and “The Brick City Boyz” Julio Cruz & Victor Chase in a four-way tag match to retain the Beyond Tag Team Titles at 13:46. This match was one of the reasons I tuned in. Waves and Curls are Black men similar to the Street Profits. MG are rising stars on the tag scene in the Northeast. TME recently appeared on MLW TV and are really good in the ring, too. Waller and Brandyn started; just two in the ring and six on the ring apron. However, everyone hopped in the ring and brawled at 2:00.
Lyon hit a moonsault for a nearfall, and he worked over Waller. Midas hit a dive to the floor. Jordan entered and fought the Brick City Boys, and he hit a leg lariat at 8:00, then a chokeslam for a nearfall. King hit a German Suplex and a Code Red. Lyon hit a springboard Spanish Fly at 10:30 and suddenly everyone was down, either in the ring or on the floor. Midas hit a springboard stunner. TME hit a team X-Factor faceplant for a believable nearfall. BCB hit a team splash for a nearfall. Brad Hollister hit the ring at 13:30! However, Richard Holliday got in the ring, cut him off, and shoved him from the ring. Victor Chase slapped Holliday in the face! Holliday shoved Chase to the mat, and King covered Chase for the pin.
* Holliday got on the mic and said to Hollister, “I’m not afraid of anything anymore, and I’m certainly not afraid of you.” Holliday said on July 9, he would team up with Miracle Generation to face Hollister and two of his friends.
6. Tyree Taylor and Anastasia Morningstar (w/heel manager) defeated Akira and Masha Slamovich in a mixed tag match at 11:46. I have never seen Tyree, who is Black, a bit heavy and wore purple and a chain, making him the first person I’ve compared to Mo from Men on a Mission, or like ROH’s Shane Taylor. Anastasia is Black, wore a mask and a purple outfit, and is similar in size to Piper Niven or Jessicka Havok. The women started off, with Masha tying up the left arm, then the leg. Akira entered at 2:30 and repeatedly chopped Anastasia, so men can face women in this one. Masha dove to the floor on Tyree, but he caught her at 4:00. So, Akira, leapt onto both of them to knock the big man down.
In the ring, Tyree and Anastasia kept Akira in their corner and worked him over. Masha spit at Tyree. Anastasia hit a German Suplex for a nearfall at 7:30; she probably outweighs Akira. Masha finally made the hot tag and she hit a spin kick to Taylor’s face. She hit some clotheslines and that had no effect. She nailed a Shining Wizard for a nearfall at 9:30. Akira put Anastasia on his shoulders and hit a Death Valley Driver into the corner on Taylor! All four brawled in the ring, man-on-man, woman-on-woman. Akira went to the top rope but the heel manager tugged at Akira’s ankle, slowing him down; Akira missed a top-rope senton and Tyree immediately hit a clothesline and a sit-out powerbomb for the pin.
7. Alex Coughlin defeated Alec Price at 14:22. Price competed less than 20 hours earlier in Las Vegas; that’s just a crazy schedule to be in Massachusetts the next afternoon. Coughlin is just so muscular that Price looks scrawny by comparison. Intense mat wrestling to begin. The commentators said Price last lost a singles match in Beyond Wrestling in October 2021. Coughlin placed Price on his back, as if going for a Copkillah, as he stretched Price at 4:00. Coughlin switched to a bow-and-arrow on the mat, and he was dominating the match. He hit a deadlift gutwrench suplex for a nearfall at 6:00.
Price hit a series of forearm shots but they barely affected Coughlin. Price finally hit an enzuigiri, then some running knees to the face at 9:30. Price hit a second-rope legdrop for a nearfall. Coughlin hit a fallaway slam with a bridge for a nearfall, and he switched to a cross-armbreaker. Price hit a superkick. Coughlin nailed a Black Hole Slam for a believable nearfall at 11:30. Price nailed a springboard tornado DDT, then a dive over the top rope to the floor. In the ring, Price hit a top-rope flipping Blockbuster for a believable nearfall at 13:30.
Price hit a superkick. Coughlin went for a release German Suplex, but Price rotated and landed on his feet. Coughlin hit a clothesline, then a German Suplex. He again applied a cross-armbreaker on the mat, and Price tapped out. “Wow, what an upset!” Denver said. That was really good action, and fans gave them a “that was awesome!” chant after the match. Coughlin told him “I’d love to do that again,” and they shook hands.
8. Megan Bayne defeated B3cca at 14:53. Bayne is dressed like an Amazon woman from Wonder Woman’s island and she has a clear size advantage. B3cca is the ‘pop superstar’ who can’t carry a song; she has seemingly been on every East Coast indy show I’ve seen the past two months. B3cca landed a quick kick to the face and she stalled early on. In the ring, B3cca hit a punch to no effect, earning a “you f—ed up!” chant. Bayne clotheslined B3cca to the floor at 2:00, and they brawled in front of the fans. B3cca hit a huracanrana on the floor. In the ring, B3cca hit a missile dropkick.
B3cca hit a running kick to the face in the corner at 5:00, and she was in control, slowing Megan down with a headlock. B3cca hit a Lungblower for a nearfall at 7:00, then a Helluva Kick. Megan fired back with a forearm shot into the corner. They traded forearms, with Megan getting the better of the exchange. They hit simultaneous Mafia Kicks and were both down at 8:30. Megan hit a short-arm clothesline and a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. B3cca went for a second-rope crossbody block, but Bayne caught her and hit a swinging sideslam for a believable nearfall at 10:30.
B3cca hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall, and the crowd began chanting “Beyond Wrestling!” Bayne hit a suplex. They brawled back to the floor. B3cca dove through the ropes, caught Megan’s head, and hit a DDT on the floor at 13:00. In the ring, B3cca hit a running knee to the side of the head for a nearfall, and she applied a Boston Crab, but Megan powered out. Bayne hit a German Suplex and was fired up. Bayne hit a Tombstone Piledriver for the pin. That was really good and topped my expectations.
9. Alex Shelley defeated Dan Barry at 17:41. Barry is well-known on the East Coast, but I know him best for an appearance in PWG’s BOLA a few years ago. Barry has a height and weight advantage. They shook hands and are both babyfaces. They traded mat holds early on as the announcers praised Barry’s accolades as a stalwart in Beyond Wrestling for the past decade. Shelley rolled to the floor at 2:30 to regroup. Back in the ring, Shelley applied a modified Figure Four Leglock. As Barry did a leapfrog, he collapsed at 5:30 and the ref checked on him. Shelley backed off. However, as Barry said he was ready to continue, Shelley immediately hit a basement dropkick on the knee and was loudly booed; Shelley’s whole demeanor changed in a second. (Let’s be honest, he’s a far better heel.)
Shelley stomped on Barry’s wrist, and they went to the floor. “So much for the wrestling exhibition,” Denver said. Shelley is in full heel mode now, barking at the crowd while chopping Barry. Shelley accidentally chopped the ring post at 8:00, allowing Barry to take control. Back in the ring, Shelley hit another hard kick on the damaged knee, then a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 9:30. “Alex Shelley is showing his true colors right here,” Denver said. Barry caught a leg and hit his own Dragonscrew Legwhop and a clothesline, and they were both down at 12:30.
Barry hit a Divorce Court armbreaker, and Shelley was shaking out his left arm to regain feeling. Barry hit an enzuigiri and a cannonball into the corner for a nearfall. Shelley dropped Barry face-first onto the middle turnbuckle at 15:00, and he applied the Border City Stretch. Barry escaped and applied his own Border ity Stretch! Shelley quickly reached the ropes. Barry hit a DDT for a nearfall. Shelley again applied the Border City Stretch, but Barry rolled him over for a nearfall. Shelley hit the Shellshock spinning faceplant, then he applied the Figure Four, and Barry tapped out. That was really good.
* Shelley got on the mic and thanked Barry. Shelley said Barry is better than “many guys on TV with fat six-figure contracts.”
Final Thoughts: A decent show with three strong matches to finish. Price-Coughlin was tremendous and could have gone either way; the commentary team noted what a huge upset it was for Price to lose there. That earns best match. Shelley-Barry was good, although Barry isn’t in top shape, and I never believed he was winning here, so that brought down the match a notch, but it earned second place. The B3cca-Bayne match was good for third.
The four-way tag match was solid but a bit messy, too. Lots of moving parts there. My biggest compalint of the show is just that some early matches needed a few more minutes to really make their mark. I am enjoying the Doug/LMK storyline, and hopefully they have a good plan in place for that wedding in August, because who doesn’t love a good wrestling wedding right?
I pointed out that Alec Price was in Las Vegas the previous evening and flew coast-to-coast to make this afternoon show. I presume Shelley, Masha, and Dango were all at the Impact taping in Canada on Saturday before heading to this show.
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