By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Freelance Pro Wrestling “Freelance vs. The World X: The 10-Year Anniversary”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
June 28, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois at Logan Square Auditorium
This is the ornate ballroom used in recent weeks by Deadlock Pro and Black Label Pro as well. It’s a nice room and a crowd of 300 makes it look packed. Jason Midas and K-Mel provided commentary.
1. Devon Monroe defeated Sabin Gauge, Darius Latrell, Alfonso Gonzalez, GPA, and Matt Knicks in a scramble at 6:45. I’m a firm believer that starting a show with a scramble is a great idea, as it always gets the crowd pumped and energized. CPA and Knicks opened; the other four are at each corner, so tags are required in this one. Gonzalez, wearing bright pink pants, hit a fisherman’s suplex on Knicks at 1:30. Devon and Gonzalez traded some lewd humor offense. The incredibly tall Latrell entered at 3:30 and brawled with Sabin at 3:30. Knicks hit a dive through the ropes onto several guys. Sabin hit a Fosbury Flop at 5:00. In the ring, Devon hit a tornado face plant move to pin Gonzalez.
2. Regan Lydale defeated Sandra Moone at 9:50. Sandra is the more experienced West Coast talent and she recently had an ROH TV match against Billie Starkz. Regan has the height advantage, and she’s in black-and-orange tonight. Regan tossed Sandra to the mat. Moone hit a crossbody block into the corner at 1:30, and she took control. Regan fired back with some chops and a Northen Lights Suplex with a bridge for a nearfall at 4:30. Regan hit some clotheslines and a bodyslam, then a Pounce for a nearfall!
Moone hit her Mule Kick to the face at 6:30. She hit a missile dropkick. She hit a fisherman’s suplex for a believable nearfall at 8:30, and Moone was stunned she didn’t get the win there. Regan blocked a gut-wrench suplex. Regan hit a German Suplex and was fired up. She hit a pump-handle bodyslam for the pin. Good action, and the crowd was thrilled the local talent went over.
3. Danhausen defeated Isaias Velazquez at 9:47. Danhausen sure is getting a lot of bookings of late. Danhausen cursed Isaias at the bell, but Isaias no-sold it and hit some blows. They brawled to the floor and Danhausen was in charge. In the ring, Isaias choked Danhausen in the ropes and took control. He put Danhausen’s cloak on and was booed. Danhausen hit a stunner and they were both down at 5:30. Danhausen hit a release suplex and he was fired up.
Danhausen poured his jar of teeth into the mouth and kicked them out. Sabin Gauge ran to ringside and distracted Danhausen! Isaias hit a dropkick in the corner for a nearfall at 8:30. Isaias hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread for a nearfall. Isaias climbed the ropes but he ‘slipped’ and got crotched in the corner; the curse worked! Danhausen immediately hit the Go To Sleephausen for the pin. Great crowd heat.
4. Trevor Outlaw (w/Frank the Clown) defeated Chico Suave in a no-DQ match at 8:03. Chico wore a white t-shirt and denim shorts; he’s dressed for a fight. He brawled with both men and this feels like a handicap match. He hit chairshots on Trevor’s back. Trevor flipped Chico into the crowd at 2:00, and they brawled amongst the fans. Chico briefly got Frank alone in the ring, but Trevor hit Chico across the back with a chair. Chico fired up. Trevor was bleeding from his forehead. Trevor hit a belly-to-belly suplex, tossing Chico through a door in the corner. Trevor then hit a Pedigree for the pin. Okay.
5. Davey Bang and August Matthews defeated “Motor City Machine Guns” Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin at 15:49. I noted this last week, but Bang’s trimmed haircut makes him look older. B&M wore identical green gear. Matthews and Shelley opened with standing switches and a standoff. Sabin and Bang then traded some quicker offense. The Guns hit front-and-back kicks on Bang at 2:30 and they took control, and the crowd chanted “Detroit sucks!” Bang hit a handspring-back-elbow on Shelley. Bang hit his axe kick on Shelley for a nearfall at 4:00. B&M began working over Alex, but Sabin made a blind tag at 6:00, and they hit their Dream Sequence on Bang and took over.
Sabin bodyslammed Bang at 9:00 as they kept him grounded and in their corner. Matthews finally got the hot tag at 10:30, but the Guns hit front and back kicks, then a Magic Killer team slam on August for a nearfall. Sabin hit a top-rope missile dropkick on August, and Shelley applied a Border City Stretch on August. Sabin tied Bang in an STF so he couldn’t interfere. Sabin accidentally hit a Helluva Kick on Shelley at 13:30, and August hit a Cave-In double stomp on Sabin!
B&M hit their top-rope double stomps on Sabin’s back for a nearfall. Bang nailed the Spears Tower on Sabin for a believable nearfall and the crowd went nuts at the kickout; they wanted that pin so bad! Sabin hit a stunner on Bang. The Guns hit more of their team offense. Sabin got pushed into Shelley, knocking Alex off the corner to the floor. Bang immediately got an O’Connor Roll to pin Sabin! This venue went NUTS for that pinfall. One of the commentators called it a “match of the year” candidate. The Guns shook their hands afterward.
6. Koda Hernandez defeated Darin Corbin to win the Freelance Legacy Title at 13:19. This match has been MONTH in the making as Darin has ducked Koda at every turn. One commentator called Koda a “breakout star” and I agree. Darin hit Koda from behind with the belt before the bell! He immediately punched at Koda and hit a Jarrett-style Stroke for a nearfall at 0:30. Koda was already bleeding from his forehead and the ref put on rubber gloves. Corbin put Koda’s feet on the ropes and hit a DDT for a nearfall at 2:00, and he hit punches on the cut, and he bit it, too. He hit a neckbreaker and remained in control. Koda fired back with a series of SIX snap suplexes, and he got a nearfall at 5:00. However, Corbin regained control and choked Koda in the ropes.
Koda hit a springboard kick, then a dive through the ropes, and he beat up Corbin on the stage! Koda hit a senton in the ring and got a nearfallat 7:30. On the floor, Darin shoved him head-first into the ring post, then he hit a frogsplash in the ring for a nearfall at 9:30. Koda hit a Razor’s Edge with a jackknife cover for a nearfall, and the crowd chanted “new champ!” They traded punches on their knees. Darin hit a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall, then another. He hit a decapitating clothesline but Koda popped up at the one-count at 12:30! Koda hit a swinging uranage. He nailed a jumping DDT for the pin! New champion! That was really good.
7. “The Syndicate” Calvin Tankman and Shane Mercer (w/James Russo) defeated “Bussy” Allie Katch and Effy to win the Freelance Tag Team Titles at 13:58. I find Allie’s offense against men to be ridiculously not-believable, particularly against men these big and strong. Effy and Tankman opened and Effy hit a Helluva Kick. Bussy hit their team butt bumps on Tankman, and Effy hit his Doink-style buttsplash. Allie chopped Calvin; he no-sold it. Effy hit a top-rope Blockbuster on Calvin and got a nearfall. Meanwhile, Shane slammed Allie back-first on the apron. Calvin hit a backbreaker over his knee on Effy, and Shane immediately hit a discus clothesline on Effy for a nearfall.
Shane flipped Calvin up in the air so Calvin could splash Effy! Shane hit a back suplex on Effy and dragged him into the heel corner. Calvin hit some LOUD chops at 4:30. Effy hit a Helluva Kick on Mercer. Effy hit a spear on Mercer. Allie finally got the hot tag at 8:00 and she hit a DDT on Mercer. Tankman accidentally splashed onto Mercer in the corner. Allie hit a rolling cannonball on Shane for a nearfall. Tankman hit a Pounce on Allie. Effy leapfrogged Mercer and hit a Rough Rider legdrop on Tankman at 10:30!
Effy hit a top-rope flying leg lariat on Mercer for a nearfall, but Calvin put Shane’s foot on the ropes! Allie leapt off the apron and crashed onto Tankman on the floor. In the ring, Mercer hit Moonsault & Battery on Effy, but Allie immediately made the save at 12:30. Mercer accidentally hit Tankman in the corner. Russo hit Allie with a title belt! Tankman hit a spinning back fist on Effy, then the Tankman Driver/sit-out piledriver for the pin! New champions! Good action.
8. Storm Grayson defeated Kylie Rae to retain the Freelance Title at 18:18. Another match that has been months in the making. However, she is so much smaller than him I struggle to buy into this one. The commentators said Storm has now been champion for 16 months; the crowd chanted “new champ!” before the bell, then “Kylie’s gonna kill you!” Storm rolled to the floor and jawed at fans at the bell; they finally locked up at 2:30. (I start my stopwatch at the bell or first contact, whichever is first!) He rolled right back to the floor to stall some more. She hit a rolling cannonball in the corner, then a dropkick.
Grayson flipped her to the mat and began stomping and chopping her. He hit an enzuigiri at 5:30. He ripped the bow out of her hair and was LOUDLY booed. He hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearall. She low-bridged the top rope and he fell to the floor. She then dove through the ropes onto him at 8:30. However, he hit a piledriver on the stage! The ref began counting them both out! She managed to crawl back in before being counted out. “Never question the heart of Kylie Rae!” K-Mel said.
Kylie hit a Buzzsaw Kick for a nearfall at 11:00. Grayson nailed a Blue Thunder Bomb for a believable nearfall and we got a LOUD “Let’s go Kylie!” chant and Grayson was irate. He hit a jumping sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall at 12:30 and he immediately began yelling at the ref. She applied an STF and cranked back on his head! He teased tapping out but was able to roll over and get a nearfall. Kylie accidentally superkicked the ref at 14:30! Storm hit a clothesline. He got a chair from the floor, but she ducked it, and she hit a superkick, and all three were down.
Kylie got the chair. He was on his knees and he begged for forgiveness and put his arms around his waist and hugged her, so she briefly set the chair down. However she clocked him over the head with the chair for a visual pin! The ref woke up and started counting, but Isaias Gonzalez stopped the ref’s count! Sabin Gauge jumped in the ring and hit Kylie! He pulled a prone Grayson onto a prone Kylie! The ref, who had been on the floor and arguing with Isaias, jumped in the ring and made the three-count, to the great dismay of these fans.
Final Thoughts: First and foremost, this crowd was HOT and totally into this show and made it a real blast to watch. As I noted at the top, this venue is getting a lot of use, because as I noted, this room just looks great, sounds great, even if there are only 300 or so fans there. The Motor City Machine Guns vs. Bang & Matthews was stellar stuff. While I won’t proclaim it “match of the year” like the commentators did, it was really, really good, and it was nice to see the locals get the big win.
Koda-Corbin was easily second-best match. I first saw Darin when he was training to wrestle 21 or so years ago, and this was as good as he’s ever looked; he so often relies on his Cabana-style dork humor, but he was serious and menacing here. The main event held the crowd’s attention and they really pulled the fans in, and that takes third. I liked seeing Mercer and Tankman win those title belts, and they’ll be tough to beat. None of the first four matches really stood out. The Danhausen stuff was what you’d expect. It was nice to see Regan also get a big victory over a bigger-name outsider talent.
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