By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Prestige Wrestling “A Moment of Violence”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
February 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California at the Vermont Hollywood
Several wrestlers here competed during the TNA tapings Friday and Saturday, then made their way here. This show is sold out and the crowd is hot. It appears the crowd is numbering 500 or more. Jack Farmer and Jordan Castle provided commentary. Lighting is really good.
1. Kushida defeated Sonico at 15:51. This is Kushida’s Prestige debut. Mat reversals and a feeling-out process to open. They appear to be roughly the same height but Sonico might have the muscle mass advantage. Sonico sped it up so Kushida rolled to the floor at 2:30 to regroup. Back in the ring, Kushida tied Sonico in a Surfboard, and he applied a hammerlock on the mat. He hit a hammerlock DDT at 6:00. He kicked at Sonico’s left elbow and targeted it, and he went for a Fujiwara Armbar. He snapped the damaged arm across the top rope at 9:00.
Sonico hit a flying headbutt but was favoring his damaged arm. Kushida hit a Frankensteiner but Sonico rolled through it. Sonico got a backslide for a nearfall, then he hit a Dragon Suplex for a neafall at 12:00. They traded slaps on the mat and both went down, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Kushida again snapped the arm across the top rope. Sonico dove through the ropes onto Kushida at 13:30. Back in the ring, Sonico hit a jumping knee to the chin. Kushida hit his baseball wind-up punch, and he went back to the hammerlock. Sonico went to the top rope but Kushida met him on the ropes, flipped him to the mat, applied the Hoverboard Lock, and Sonico tapped out. A very good opener.
2. Jordan Cruz defeated Gregory Sharpe at 4:39. Both of these guys have appeared in New Japan Strong in the past and I’m impressed with both. Cruz snuck up behind Sharpe and hit a German Suplex to open the match and he was loudly booed. Sharpe clotheslined Cruz to the floor. However, Cruz hit a brainbuster onto the ring apron at 1:30. Cruz hit a second-rope Deadlift Superplex and he was in control. Sharpe hit a kick and rallied the crowd. Cruz hit a decapitating clotheslines, then a Kamigoye kneestrike for a nearfall at 4:00. Cruz hit a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall, but he pulled Sharpe up before getting the pin! Cruz then nailed a Burning Hammer for the pin. Shockingly one-sided, but the commentators stressed that Sharpe never got a chance because of being jumped before the bell.
3. “Sinner & Saint” Travis Williams and Judas Icarus defeated “West Coast Wrecking Crew” Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson to retain the Prestige Tag Team Titles at 16:23. Sinner & Saint were destroyed in an AEW/ROH match by Dutch and Vincent not too long ago, which was unfortunate. Judas is a shorter Mike Bailey, with similar dark hair and he also wrestles barefoot. Williams has Zack Sabre’s style. Jorel and Icarus opened with mat reversals. Jorel dropped him with a shoulder block, then some loud chops. He dove through the ropes onto Icarus at 2:30. Williams made a blind tag and he hit a basement dropkick on Nelson’s knee.
Isaacs got in and hit a sliding clothesline on Williams. He hit a German Suplex for a nearfall at 5:00, and he tied up Williams in a leglock. Icarus hit a plancha to the floor on Isaacs, while Williams hit a clothesline on Jorel for a nearfall at 6:30. S&S began working over Jorel in their corner. Williams hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 8:30. Jorel hit a Pounce onto both men in the corner and he made the hot tag. Isaacs hit clotheslines in the corner on Williams, then on Icarus. He hit a powerslam on Williams for a nearfall. Icarus hit a hard clothesline on Nelson.
Williams hit a top-rope superplex on Jorel at 12:00, and Icarus immediately hit a frogsplash for a believable nearfall, and the crowd chanted “West Coast!” Isaacs hit a powerslam on Williams for a nearfall, but Icarus made the save. Isaacs hit a sit-out powerbomb, then a Death Valley Driver. Isaacs was shoved into the corner, knocking Jorel off the top turnbuckle. Icarus hit a stunner on Jorel, and Williams immediately hit a German Suplex on Jorel. Icarus hit a low blow headbutt on Isaacs! S&S hit a Killing Blow kick-and-slam combo to score the cheap pin on Isaacs. Good match.
* We have a mystery opponent for Rey Horus… and up in the balcony (second level) is Black Taurus!
4. Black Taurus defeated Rey Horus at 16:18. I always note that Taurus is the perfect dance partner for a high flyer. Quick lucha reversals early on and a standoff at 1:30. Rey hit a dive through the ropes onto Taurus. In the ring, Rey hit a satellite head-scissors takedown. Taurus hit a hard shoulder tackle at 4:00. He snapped Horu’s neck between his ankles, then he hit a powerslam for a nearfall. The went to the floor and brawled in front of the fans. Taurus got Rey up for a Guerrilla Press and dropped him head-first on the apron; in the ring he got a nearfall at 6:30. He dropped Rey with a hard punch. Black Taurus hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall.
Rey hit a head-scissors takedown. He hit an impressive dive to the floor at 9:00 with them landing deep into the rows of seats, and the crowd chanted “lucha!” In the ring, Horus hit a Code Red for a nearfall. Taurus hit a Crucifix Driver, then his pop-up Samoan Drop at 10:30. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Rey hit a forward roll to the mat. Rey then hit an Around The Sun twisting frogsplash for a nearfall at 12:30. They again fought on the top rope, where Taurus hit a Guerrilla Press to the mat for a believable nearfall.
Horus hit a tornado DDT, then a Poison Rana, for a nearfall at 14:30. Rey went for another Around the Sun, but this time, Taurus got his knees up to block it. Taurus put him in a Torture Rack, then he nailed the backbreaker over his knee, then another, then a piledriver for a believable nearfall at 16:00, and Taurus was shocked he didn’t win there. He hit a second piledriver and this one got the pin. A very good lucha match.
5. Tiger Mask, Alex Shelley, and Kevin Blackwood defeated “Los Suavicitos” Adrian Quest, Danny Rose, and Ricky Gee at 14:06. Shelley wore his Prestige title, which of course is not on the line in this match. A hero’s welcome for Tiger Mask, who was introduced last. Blackwood (who recently left Los Angeles to return to hometown Buffalo) got a huge pop as he started the match, and he tied up the smaller Rose. Blackwood hit a doublestomp to the chest at 2:00. Shelley tagged in to face Gee and he tied up Ricky’s arm. Tiger Mask got the hot tag at 4:30 to face Quest, and TM hit a backbreaker over his knee. Shelley got back in and tied up Quest.
Los Suavicitos began working over Shelley and beat him up on the floor; there really is no room to move outside the ring because the fans are packed in almost right next to the ring. Back in the ring, they kept Alex in their corner; they are setting a pace to go long. Gee tossed Rose onto Shelley for a nearfall at 9:00. Shelley finally hit a double clothesline and he made the hot tag to Kevin. Blackwood hit some quick kicks on Rose and Gee, and he suplexed one onto the the other. Blackwood and Quest traded forearm strikes at 11:00.
Quest hit a superkick and a Code Blue-style rollup. Rose hit a crossbody block on Kevin for a nearfall. Tiger Mask got the hot tag at 12:30 and he hit some roundhouse kicks to Rose’s chest. TIger Mask nailed a top-rope double-underhook superplex for a nearfall. Blackwood hit a Helluva Kick, then a top-rope doublestomp to the collarbone. Shelley nailed the Shellshock swinging faceplant. It allowed Tiger Mask to hit a Tiger Driver/butterfly powerbomb for the clean pin. That was fun stuff. The winner was never in doubt, but I wasn’t ruling out Blackwood turning on Shelley at some point during the match, either.
* Intermission was edited out.
6. Alan Angels defeated Chris Sabin at 15:57. Jordan Castle noted that Sabin just lost the TNA X Division Title two days earlier. These two have wrestled before in TNA/Impact. Mat reversals to open. Sabin hit a standing neckbreaker at 5:00. Angels hit a 619. Sabin got slammed into a ring post and sold pain in his shoulder. Back in the ring, Angels was in charge and targeted the shoulder, hitting a Northern Lights Suplex at 8:00. Sabin hit a superkick and they were both down. Sabin hit a DDT for a nearfall. Angels applied the Halo Stretch (Rings of Saturn) at 11:30 and was loudly booed, but Sabin’s foot reached the ropes. Sabin hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip, then a snap German Suplex, so Angels hit a German Suplex. Sabin hit an enzuigiri and they were both down.
Travis Williams and Judas Icarus came to ringside at 13:00 and were loudly booed. Sabin and Angels got up and traded forearm strikes. Williams hopped on the ring apron, distracting Sabin. Sabin hit Icarus, allowing Angels to get a rollup for a nearfall. Sabin hit a standing powerbomb, then he hit a Styles Clash for a massive pop for a nearfall at 14:30. Sabin set up for the Cradleshock, but Williams and Icarus pulled Angels to the floor! So, Sabin hit a plancha to the floor onto all three. However, Sabin was crotched on the ropes while getting back into the ring. Angels immediately hit a roundhouse kick to the head, then the Angels Wings faceplant for the cheap pin.
* Angels, Williams and Icarus kept beating up Sabin, until Shelley and Kushida ran into the ring to make the save.
7. Jordynne Grace defeated Sandra Moone at 11:26. Moone is a West Coast regular and she just appeared in the ROH Women’s TV Title tournament last week. Jordynne wore a white top and bottom with gold trim, not the red outfit she’s worn recently. Castle raved about her appearance in the Royal Rumble. An intense lockup; I don’t know if they’ve fought before. Moone went for a shoulder tackle but she ricocheted and fell to the mat. Moone appears to be slightly taller but clearly Grace has the size and muscle mass advantage. Grace hit some shoulder blocks into the ribs. Moone slammed Jordynne face-first on the top turnbuckle at 3:30, and she hit a series of blows to the chest.
Sandra hit a shoulder tackle and got a nearfall. Jordyne held Sandra upset down for several seconds before hitting a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 5:30, and the crowd chanted “Muscle Mommy!” She set up for the Juggernaut Driver but Moone blocked it. They brawled to the floor. In the ring, Jordynne tried to hit a superplex but Moone blocked it. Instead, Grace hit a Samoa Joe-style Muscle Buster for a nearfall at 8:00. Grace hit a clothesline and a standing powerbomb for a nearfall. (Castle referred to Grace as the current TNA women’s champion but she didn’t carry the belt with her to ringside.) Moone hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 10:00. Moone went for a gut-wrench move but Grace blocked it. Moone hit a hard punch, and she got a crucifix rollup for a nearfall. Grace hit the Juggernaut Driver for the pin. Good match.
8. Mustafa Ali defeated Mike Bailey at 24:31. “Easily the busiest schedule in all of 2024,” Castle said of Bailey. Ali wore the TNA X Divison title and he got a massive pop and we got a “holy shit!” chant before the bell. The bell rang but they played to the crowd, which was hot and split and they locked up at 1:30 for the first time. They missed kicks and had a standoff. Obviously, this is a first-time-ever meeting; the announcers were really pushing the “political storyline of Mustafa running for office to improve wrestling.” They traded armdrags and had another standoff at 4:00. Ali snuck up and got a rollup for a nearfall.
Bailey hit a hard spin kick to the jaw, which Ali sold. Bailey hit his Speedball kicks to the ribs and thighs at 6:00, then a boot to the chest, then his Triangle Moonsault to the floor on Ali. (I can’t stress enough how little room there is for them to work on the floor.) Bailey placed Ali on a chair and hit some kicks to his chest. In the ring, they each hit a kick in a corner. Ali dropped Bailey face-first on the top turnbuckle at 8:00, but Ali clutched at a sore ankle. Ali hit a 450 Splash onto Bailey’s left arm, and Bailey grabbed his elbow in pain. Ali applied a Fujiwara Armbar in the center of the ring at 10:00, but Bailey eventually reached the ropes.
Ali hit a somersault-into-a-neckbreaker for a nearfall, and he kicked at the damaged elbow. Bailey applied a cross-armbreaker, but Ali quickly got his feet on the ropes at 12:30. Ali went for a springboard move, but Bailey caught him with a superkick! (This move looked great and we got a “holy shit!” chant, then “this is awesome!”) Bailey hit a series of hard kicks then his running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 14:30. Bailey hit a tornado DDT. Ali hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall and he again stomped on the damaged elbow. Bailey again applied the crossarm breaker and they traded rollups. Bailey nailed the moonsault double-kneedrop at 17:30.
Bailey nailed a buzzsaw kick to the head. Ali snapped the damaged arm across the top rope. Bailey went for a moonsault kneedrop on the apron but Ali moved, and Bailey crashed onto the apron. Ali immediately slammed Bailey into the ring post. Ali then dove through the ropes onto Bailey. Bailey nailed the top-rope Asai Moonsault to the floor at 20:00, and we got a loud “holy shit!” chant. In the ring, Bailey went for Ultima Weapon but Ali kicked him in the chest.
Bailey whipped Ali into the corner, with Ali crashing face-first onto the middle turnbuckle, and they were both down at 21:30. They fought on the top rope, and Bailey nailed a top-rope Poison Rana for a nearfall! Ali applied a “Pledge of Ali-giance” submission hold around the neck but Bailey escaped. Bailey nailed a Superkick. Bailey hit the Tornado Kick, but he again missed the Ultima Weapon. Ali hit a Superkick! Ali then nailed the top-rope 450 Splash for the pin. That was superb, absolutely superb. That was worthy of headlining a TNA PPV.
* Ali got on the mic and said “you are by far the toughest son-of-a-bitch I’ve ever wrestled in my life.” He said when he announced his world tour, he was going to remove corrupt leaders “like you,” but Ali was wrong. He said independent wrestling needs men like Mike Bailey. He told Bailey he has his respect and offered a handshake. Ali held up his X Division title and said sooner or later, they will be fighting over it. The crowd chanted “Both these guys!” Ali said he’s coming back to Prestige to face Kevin Blackwood.
Final Thoughts: An absolutely top-notch indy show. The venue looked great, the crowd was hot, the ring was well-lit, the commentary was good. I have been fortunate to see most of Ali’s post-WWE matches so far, and this is easily the best so far. It might be the best match of Ali’s career. If anyone can point to one better, let me know so I can watch it now. I’ll narrowly take WCWC-S&S for second place, ahead of Horus-Taurus for third. Some really good matches here and this show gets my highest recommendation.
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