By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Empire State Wrestling “Brawlfest 2024”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
May 18, 2024 in Buffalo, New York at Riverworks
As I looked at the lineup, I barely know any of the wrestlers, so a lot of new faces for me. I admittedly tuned in for the third match, as it features top Northeast stars Alec Price and Jordan Oliver. This show was held at Buffalo Riverworks; it is a weird-looking, large mall and event center with a high ceiling. (I checked out its official website because I was so intrigued by it.) There are perhaps 400 people watching, with some on the floor and many on a second level. The commentators made it sound like this is a once-a-year special wrestling event at this venue.
1. Colin Delaney defeated Darren Crowe (w/Jeremiah Richter) at 11:25. I’ve seen Crowe once before; he wore a Forgotten Sons-style jean jacket and looks like he’s from a biker gang in Charming, Calif. Pretty standard beat-down stuff, with Richter helping choke Delaney and keep him grounded. Delaney hit a springboard stunner for a visual pin, but the heels distracted the referee. Delaney blocked a low blow attempt and hit a second springboard stunner for the pin. This stayed firmly in first gear.
2. “CXR” Chael Connors and TJ Epixx defeated “Greed” Julio Diamante and Price Puregold to retain the ESW Tag Team Titles at 6:58. I don’t know any of these four. The Greed team wore black gear. CXR wore white pants and they got the crowd fired up. All four brawled during ring introductions. Diamante hit a Styles Clash for a nearfall at 6:30. However, CXR hit a team pop-up stunner for the pin on Diamante. Okay action.
* Bill Collier came to the ring. He’s thick and clearly a heel, and he is holding a belt, and a commentator said it doesn’t belong to him. He got in the face of the interviewer and threatened him; it was hard to understand the mic, and the crowd was drowning him out with boos. He boasted that he was their champion. Channing Decker came out in blue jeans and a Buffalo Sabres jersey and he confronted Collier. They will meet later tonight!
3. Cheech defeated Mattick, James Sayga, Cloudy, Alec Price, and Jordan Oliver in a six-way scramble at 9:10. I don’t know Mattick or Sayga, but of course am well familiar with the other four here. Mattick is rotund and wore black and is heavily-tattooed; think Sami Callihan. Sayga is balding, thicker and has a mustache. All six brawled at the bell. Price hit his springboard crossbody block on Cloudy. Oliver hit a basement dropkick on Cheech at 1:30. Mattickand Sayga brawled. Oliver and Price were suddenly alone and traded quick offense, with Jordan hitting a German Suplex at 4:30. Cheech hit a 619 on Oliver. Mattick hit a neckbreaker over his knee on Cheech.
Sayga powerslammed Cloudy onto Mattick in the corner at 6:00. Nice move. Price hit a sunset flip bomb. Oliver hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor. Price hit a Fosbury Flop to the floor; that’s new! Mattick hit a flip dive onto all five opponents, earning a “holy shit!” chant. Oliver caught Mattick with a stunner, then he hit a Clout Cutter. Cloudy hit a low blow and a Code Red on Price. Cheech hit a modified Go To Sleep/pop-up kneestrike to pin former partner Cloudy. Fast-paced and fun.
4. Gavin Glass defeated Jeremiah Richter at 6:27. I don’t know these two. Richter is tall and really, really skinny; he”s part of the motorcycle club group that was interfering in the first match. Gavin is young with a full head of dark black hair and he shook hands with all the kids at ringside; think Mike Bailey without a mullet. Richter immediately seized control of the offense. Gavin hit a dive through the ropes at 4:00. In the ring, he hit a Lungblower to the chest and a Flatliner for a nearfall. Richter hit a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall and he jawed at the ref. Glass got a rollup out of nowhere for the clean pin. Richter was irate.
5. Christina Marie defeated Adena Steele, Haley Dylan, and Katie Arquette in a four-way to become the inaugural ESW Women’s Champion at 6:59. Dylan is still new but I’ve seen her the most; she’s a redhead and usually a heel who is aiding Kevin Blackwood, but she got a babyface pop here. Steele is short, heavily tattooed. Arquette wore a fur jacket and she’s a heel; I’ve seen her in Cleveland-based AIW. I don’t know Christina; she wore most red and she’s also a babyface. All four fought at the bell. In the ring, Adena hit some kicks on Haley and jawed at the crowd; Christina and Katie were fighting on the floor. Arquette hit a German Suplex on Adena in the ring at 3:00, then a Bronco Buster on Christina.
Haley hit a German Suplex, then a fisherman’s suplex out of the corner for a nearfall. They did a tower spot out of the corner and all four women were down at 5:30, with the crowd chanting “holy shit!” They all traded forearm strikes while on their knees. Haley hit a rolling Death Valley Driver. Katie hit a uranage. Christina Marie hit a spear to pin Adena! Good action that definitely could have gone longer. Fans chanted, “You deserve it!” as Marie hoisted the belt above her head.
* A video package aired showing wrestlers who have competed in ESW before, from Adam Cole to Brodie Lee to MJF to Butcher and Blade. Well done.
6. Nick Ando defeated Tommy K at 11:09. Ando is dressed like a boat captain in a white jacket and hat; I saw him wrestle once on the GCW Rochester show a couple months ago. Tommy K has a long, bushy beard and he’s the babyface. Tommy hit a dropkick at 2:00 and a crossbody block. Ando, who is bald with a chain around his neck (I just have an irrational hate of wearing jewelry during a match) stomped on Tommy and kept him grounded. Tommy hit a flapjack and they were both down at 6:30. Tommy hit some clotheslines and a spinebuster. Ando went for a piledriver but Tommy blocked it at 9:00. Ando hit a top-rope superplex and they were both down. Tommy hit a back suplex and a senton. Ando got a rollup with a handful of tights for the cheap pin. Solid match.
* A tall barstool was placed in the ring with a microphone. Elijah got a nice pop as he walked to the ring. Yes, this is the former Elias from WWE. (I think this is the third time I’ve seen him in action since his WWE release.) He sat on the chair and gave us the “Hello, I am Elijah” line and strummed the guitar. That beard is as long and thick as ever. He asked us, “Who wants to walk with Elijah?” He was getting the crowd fired up as he was singing when he was interrupted by John McChesney. “Nobody here wants to walk with you, Elijah!” McChesney shouted, and the fans booed him. John jumped Elijah and our next match is under way.
7. Elijah defeated John McChesney at 9:06. McChesney was in charge early. Elijah walked the top rope at 2:00. John hit a Russian Legsweep for a nearfall. He hit a Stinger Splash at 4:30, then hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall. They traded forearm strikes. Elijah hit a Mafia Kick at 6:30. John pushed Elijah into the ref, then John hit a low blow uppercut. On the floor, John’s cornerman accidentally hit John with a guitar. In the ring, Elijah slammed his guitar over John’s head and scored the pin. Exactly what you’d expect and the crowd was happy with what they saw.
8. Frankie Feathers and Randy P defeated Vinnie Moon in a handicap match at 7:57. Vinnie is scrawny with reddish hair in a long mullet, and he wore red gear. Randy P and Frankie came out and they said they took out Moon’s partner so this is a handicap match. Randy wore a T-shirt to hide he’s out of shape. Frankie is Black and of average size. Yuck these three are bad; I hate to be so blunt as I usually am forgiving, but this was not good. The commentators started rambling about the weather and ignored how ugly this was. Vinnie hit a second-rope flying clothesline at 5:30. Randy hit a low blow uppercut. Frankie made a one-foot cover on Vinnie’s chest for the pin. Just not good.
9. Bill Collier defeated Channing Decker to retain the ESW Heavyweight Title at 23:05. Decker came out first, still in jeans and his Sabres jersey. Collier came out with the belt around his waist and reminding me of Gene Snitsky; he’s got a good physique and he sneered at the fans. Collier choked Decker in the ropes and was in charge. They brawled to the floor, where Collier whipped Decker into the ring steps at 6:00. Decker hit a flip dive through the ropes. In the ring, Collier whipped a chair at Decker’s head for a nearfall at 10:00 and I really hate that; no reason to take a headshot there.
Collier pulled a beat-up old table into the ring and set it in the corner. Decker applied a Sharpshooter at 17:30 but Collier reached the ropes. Decker hit a flying elbow onto a chair on Collier, sending Bill through a table at 19:30. Collier hit a bodyslam onto an open chair for a believable nearfall. Collier removed the top rope and he choked Decker with it. Collier hit a straight punch to the forehead for the anti-climatic pin. Okay match.
Final Thoughts: Glad I tuned in, if nothing else, for the scramble. When I first glanced at the lineup, it didn’t click in my head that Elijah went the former Elias. Despite more than enough time, the main event was merely okay. Collier has the right look and heelish mannerisms, but Decker didn’t have enough babyface fire to pull me in. They also didn’t need to go 23 minutes. The second-to-last match should have been on the cutting room floor; I won’t belabor the point. Of all the wrestlers I really didn’t know, I’d like to see more of Christina Marie, and I can see some potential in Gavin Glass.
Game Changer Wrestling held a show on this day and in my review of that event, I wondered where GCW mainstays Price and Oliver were; results of this ESW show hadn’t been posted anywhere yet.
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