By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Dreamwave Pro Wrestling “No Escape 2024”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
June 15, 2024 in La Salle, Illinois at the KOC Hall
This venue is about an hour’s drive west of Chicago, and it has been sold out for a while with perhaps 300 or so fans. I really like that they leave the lights on. I prefer that over a poorly-lit ring when lights are low.
1. Marcus Mathers defeated Lince Dorado, Dante Leon and Stephen Wolf in a four-way at 15:04. Leon just had his AEW TV debut a couple weeks ago. The crowd was hot as these four traded quick offense to open; they all attempted dropkicks and had a standoff at 2:30. Mathers was wearing his old-school Phillies-inspired pants. Dorado hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Mathers for a nearfall. Wolf hit a release suplex on Lince. Wolf hit a standing moonsault on Dorado. Leon hit a Buzzsaw kick on Wolf. Marcus hit a missile dropkick on Leon at 6:00. Dorado hit a huracanrana on Mathers.
Leon dove through the ropes onto Mathers. Wolf hit a plancha onto Mathers and Leon. Mathers hit a flip dive onto everyone at 7:30. In the ring, Mathers tied Leon in a Rings of Saturn move. Dorado put a Fujiwara Armbar on Wolf at the same time! Mathers hit a dropkick on Dorado; Dorado hit a running boot on Marcus. Leon and Wolf hit stereo Mafia Kicks and all four were down at 9:30. They all got up and traded chops. Mathers hit a springboard crossbody block on two guys, then a stunner on Wolf at 11:30.
Dorado hit a double Lethal Injection. He hit a Lungblower to the back on Wolf for a nearfall. Wolf hit a clothesline on Leon and a running Shooting tar Press for a nearfall. Lince hit a Tiger Bomb for a nearfall. Marcus hit a kip-up stunner. Leon clotheslined two guys to the floor. Dorado hit a running blockbuster on Leon, a dive to the two guys on the floor, then a Shooting Star Press onto Leon for a nearfall. Marcus hit a top-rope 450 Splash onto Leon for the pin. That was well laid out with non-stop action.
* Brittnie Brooks limped to the ring with the women’s title around her waist. She injured her left knee at a show in Minnesota the previous weekend, and she has it heavily wrapped. She announced she cannot wrestle tonight and is unclear how long she will be out. So, she is vacating the title. “The moment I come back, I’m coming back for blood and I’m coming back for this championship,” she said. This brought out Maggie Lee, who isn’t yet dressed to wrestle. She snatched the mic from Brittnie and said “I’m not buying it.” Maggie said Brittnie is faking an injury. She told Brittnie to put the belt on her, but Brittnie slapped her. Maggie kicked at Brittnie’s knee then stomped on her! Several people from the locker room came out to make the save. A four-way match later in the night will now be for the vacant women’s title.
2. “The Mane Event” Jay Lyon and Midas Black defeated August Matthews and Davey Bang at 10:59. TME are East Coast regulars and there are several who made the trek here for the show. Bang now has very short hair and he looks notably different. Matthews and Lyon opened with basic reversals. Black and Bang locked up at 2:00, and Midas hit a German Suplex. Lyon dove through the hoola hoop and ropes onto Bang and Matthews on the floor. In the ring, Bang hit a handspring-back-elbow and they began to work over Midas in their corner.
Lyon got the hot tag and hit an Exploder Suplex at 7:00. Midas hit a spear on Matthews and a 619 on Bang, then a frogsplash. Matthews hit a Swanton Bomb and suddenly all four were down. Bang and Matthews hit stereo superkicks. Bang hit a moonsault to the floor while Matthews hit a dive through the ropes at 9:00. Bang nailed the Spears Tower for a nearfall. TME hit The Grand Finale/team X-Factor for the clean pin! That’s a surprising outcome for the Northeast team to beat the Chicago guys in their debut.
3. Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella) defeated Bobby Orlando at 7:03. Both guys also are from the Northeast. Basic reverals early on and Channing rolled to the floor at 1:00 to regroup. Bobby repeatedly rammed Channing’s head into the top turnbuckle. Channing hit a series of elbow drops and took control. He hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 3:30. Bobby fired up and hit some jab punches and a bodyslam, then a stunner for a nearfall at 6:00. Bobby went to the top rope but Sidney grabbed his ankle. It allowed Channing to hit a running kick and a piledriver for the pin. Solid match.
4. Arieal Van Go defeated Vic Capri, J Fowler, and Sabin Gauge in a four-way at 7:45. I have compared Fowler’s looks, size and stature to Pac, and he’s underrated in the ring. Van Go used to wrestle as Zenshi in MLW. Capri is the aging veteran I always compare to Davey Richards. They traded some fast-paced offense early. Capri hit an Exploder Suplex on Gauge. Fowler hit a snap suplex, then a Death Valley Driver. Gauge hit a double missile dropkick, then a Dragon Suplex on Fowler. Van Go hit a Pele Kick at 4:30. Gauge hit a twisting dive through the ropes onto all three opponents.
Gauge hit a pump-handle powerbomb on Van Go for a believable nearfall. Fowler hit an Olympic Slam on Gauge, then a Jackhammer for a believable nearfall on Gauge at 7:00. Vic went for a Sliced Bread but Sabin avoided it. Sabin hit a low blow mule kick on Vic. Van Go hit a Sliced Bread to pin Sabin Gauge. Really good action.
5. Hartenbower defeated Camaro Jackson at 6:34. Hartenbower is bald with a goatee and I’ve compared his looks to Josh Alexander, while the short powerhouse Camaro is comparable in size and build to Jonathan Gresham, and he’s leaned out in recent months, too. Camaro hit a shoulder tackle and a bodyslam. Hartenbower hit a Stinger Splash in the corner at 2:30. He hit a jumping DDT for a nearfall. They traded forearm strikes on the ring apron at 5:30. and Hartenbower hit a spear on the apron. Camaro nailed a standing powerbomb. Hartenbower hit another spear for the pin. Good action and this should have gone longer.
6. “The Hype” Gaige Noonan and Hunter Holdcraft defeated “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini to retain the Dreamwave Tag Team Titles at 12:49. Both members of the Hype appear to be in their early 20s, are shorter than average, and are regulars here. Garrini and Holdcraft opened; Hunter wore his amateur wrestling singlet. They worked over each other’s left arm, and Garrini went to the floor to regroup. On the floor, ViF slammed their opponents backs into each other. Back in the ring, Ku kicked Hunter and kept him grounded. Garrini hit a sliding dropkick at 4:00. Noonan got a hot tag and hit a 619 on Ku, then a top-rope crossbody block at 7:00.
Ku hit a backbreaker over his knee on Hunter. Noonan and Ku traded forearm strikes, and Ku hit a powerbomb move for a nearfall, then he applied an anklelock. Garrini and Hunter tagged back in and they traded forearm strikes at 9:30, and Garrini hit a jumping knee to the sternum. Hunter hit a German Suplex. Ku hit a Lungblower move, and Garrini hit a decapitating clothesline on Noonan for a believable nearfall at 11:00. Garrini hit a second-rope superplex, but Ku missed a senton. Noonan hit a springboard double stunner. Holdcraft got a rollup to pin Garrini out of nowhere. Good match, and I don’t mind it wasn’t a clear, decisive win; they pinned the more well-known champs but were lucky to escape with a win.
7. Maggie Lee defeated Brooke Havok, Rebecca J. Scott, and J-Rod in a four-way to win the Dreamwave Women’s Title at 6:50. J-Rod is the tall athletic trainer and I’ve been impressed with her. Scott is a blonde of below-average height. Again, Maggie is a tall former volleyball player. J-Rod hit a double clothesline and everyone traded quick rollups. Maggie hit a sit-out powerbomb on Scott at 3:00. Maggie hit a top-rope senton on J-Rod’s back for a nearfall. Scott nailed a Crucifix Driver on Maggie for a nearfall. Scott hit a Stomp to the head for a nearfall at 5:30. Scott hit a Code Red on Brooke for a nearfall. Maggie hit an F5 Slam on Scott. Maggie hit Scott with a protective knee brace across the head. She then hit a Tombstone Piledriver on Havoc for the pin. That was good but far too short.
8. Victor Iniestra defeated Jordan Kross at 6:19. I’ve seen Kross a few times now; he’s a scrawny young kid with a dark mullet that makes him look a bit like Mike Bailey. The commentators said Kross is still winless in Dreamwave. (I think he was inexplicably undefeated in nearby Warrior Wrestling.) Iniestra cut a heel promo and yelled at the crowd. Kross hit some deep armdrags. Victor hit a face plant. Victor shook the ropes, causing Jordan to fall and be crotched in the corner. Jordan hit a superkick and they were both down at 5:30. Victor got a rollup with a hand on the ropes for leverage for the cheap pin. Just okay; I have written that other matches of similar length here were too short, but this was just fine as-is.
* There were edits between matches on this show. I point it out here because the cage is suddenly erected and we’re ready to go for the main event!
9. Christian Rose defeated Gringo Loco in a steel cage match to retain the Dreamwave Title at 16:26. A huge pop for Gringo Loco. Rose has been undefeated in Dreamwave since 2016 (but I think the promotion was inactive for a few years there, not just during the pandemic.) Gingo attacked on the floor and I started my stopwatch at first contact. They finally got in the ring and the bell rang at 2:30 sharp to officially begin. Loco hit him with a garbage can lid to the head. Basic brawling early on. Loco hit a powerbomb onto a folded chair for a nearfall at 6:30.
They brawled on the top rope, and Gringo tried to get a Spanish Fly but Rose held onto the top of the cage. Instead, there was a side Russian Leg Sweep that the commentators agreed hurt both men. Rose applied a Million Dollar Dream sleeper. Gringo dropped Rose stomach-first across the back of two open chairs, and they were both down at 12:00. Rose hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall. Gingo hit a top-rope moonsault onto Rose, who was lying across some open chairs, earning a “holy shit!” chant and he got a nearfall at 15:00. Those Damn Coyotes ran to ringside and one of them started to climb the cage. Connor Hopkins threw a briefcase into the ring. Rose grabbed it, hit Loco in the head with it, then kicked him in the back and scored a cheap pin.
* Connor Hopkins hit Christian Rose with the briefcase! He told the referee he was cashing it in right now!
10. Connor Hopkins pinned Christian Rose in a steel cage match to win the Dreamwave Title at 00:13. Hopkins hit a Jay Driller and scored the pin. New champion! Those Damn Coyotes kicked Rose after the victory, and the heels celebrated in the ring. (Does this turn Rose into a babyface?) Hopkins got a pair of scissors and cut a tuft of Rose’s hair off the back of his head.
Final Thoughts: An entertaining show and my biggest issue is so many times I want matches to be longer, so that’s a good problem to have. The title change was certainly well done, in that I didn’t see it coming that Hopkins was turning on Rose, even though he’s had the title shot briefcase for a few months. Hopkins isn’t particularly tall or muscular, so we’ll see how this goes moving forward with him as champion. That show-opening four-way earns best match, with ViF vs. The Hype taking second. I enjoyed that women’s four-way for third, even though I felt it was too obvious that Maggie was winning it.
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