By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Lehigh Valley Athletics Council presents “Steelstacks Smackdown III”
Streamed on Independentwrestling.tv
October 5, 2024 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania at SteelStacks
I watched this event last year and although I know only a few of the wrestlers on the show, I thought I’d give it a try. The main event is loaded with some quality workers — Delirious, Wheeler Yuta, Drew Gulak and Tracy Williams, among others. The show opened by panning the crowd, showing we have maybe 500 here, although there is no seating across from the hard camera. Joe Leonard and Ian Riccaboni provided commentary.
* Lighting is good over the ring, but the in-ring mic is inaudible. I can’t hear the names of the individuals in our opener, and the on-screen graphics just have the team names. I tracked down their names later.
1. “Lost Boys” Athan Promise, Miles Penn, and Ryan Ryzz vs. “The Colony” Electro Ant, Ultimo Ant, and Worker Ant in a six-man tag. The Lost Boys are all scrawny, young kids. One Ant wore teal, another is in pink, and the third is in black-and-yellow. The Lost Boys worked over pink-wearing Ultimo. The heels then worked over the teal ant. They had a tower spot out of the corner at 5:00 that earned a “holy shit!” chant. Ian tried to explain that this is a family-friendly show but they can’t control the fans’ chants! Promise hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor on a bunch of guys at 7:30. Promise scored the pin. A bit chaotic but passable.
Athan Promise, Miles Penn, and Ryan Ryzz defeated “The Colony” Electro Ant, Ultimo Ant, and Worker Ant at 9:46.
2. Juni Underwood vs. Myung-Jae Lee. I’ve seen Juni perhaps five times now; he’s of average size. Lee is a regular for C*4 in Canada. Good reversals to open. Lee hit a Meteora, then a brainbuster for a nearfall at 4:30. Juni tied him in the Tree of Woe and hit a dropkick to the exposed waist. Lee hit a double stomp on the back, then a pump-handle powerbomb for the pin. Good action.
Myung-Jae Lee defeated Juni Underwood at 7:31.
3. Channing Thomas and Landon Hale (w/Sidney Bakabella) vs. Merlok and King Crab. I don’t know Merlok or King Crab; they wear colorful costumes and masks. More Chikara guys? Merlok is a sea monster in green. Thomas is always a heel; Hale is usually a babyface but he’s a heel for the night. Bakabella is in a wheelchair tonight. Hale and King Crab opened, and Crab applied a claw to the shoulder (a Vulcan Death Grip!), and the crowd was into the silliness. Merlok is a bit thick in the middle; he got in the ring with Channing at 3:00.
The heels began working King Crab over in their corner. Crab finally hit a spinebuster on Hale at 8:30 and made the hot tag to Merlok. Merlok hit a Mark Henry Slam on Hale, then a running Stinger Splash. Channing accidentally struck Hale. Merlok hit a Samoan Drop on Channing. King Crab hit a second-rope flying double clothesline. Merlok was pushed to the floor and into a ring post. Channing got some brass knuckles and hit King Crab with them for the cheap pin. Bakabella never got out of the wheelchair; I expected he was going to hop up, interfere when the ref was out, then sit back down and pretend like he never moved.
Channing Thomas and Landon Hale defeated Merlok and King Crab at 10:31.
4. Vita Von Starr and Harleen Lopez vs. Little Mean Kathleen and a mystery partner. The heels came out first, then LMK solo. The familiar music of Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” can only mean one person — CPA! I consistently say I love CPA as a good undercard comedy act. Vita has appeared with Dutch and Vincent in ROH in the past, and she has long, straight black hair. CPA peeled off his shirt, revealing an identical one underneath. CPA and Harleen opened, and she chopped him. He sidestepped her charges for some comedy. LMK entered and tied up Vita’s arms. CPA pushed Vita for a ‘Schoolyard Takedown’ over LMK.
Vita hit a snap suplex on CPA at 5:00 and she tied him up. Harleen got in and also hit a snap suplex, with CPA’s ankle striking the ropes and he sold the pain. LMK finally got the hot tag at 8:30 and she hit clotheslines on the heels. She hit a series of punches on Vita in the corner, then she ran up the chests of the two heels piled together in the corner. She hit a Vader Bomb on Vita, but Vita isn’t the legal woman. Harleen immediately hit a TKO on LMK for a believable nearfall at 10:30. CPA hit a second-rope double missile dropkick. He peeled off that shirt to reveal another (the massive pop every time just gets me!) He hit his comedy 619. Harleen hit a short-arm clothesline for a believable nearfall. She applied a crossface, and CPA tapped out! Fun match; the heels really had fun beating him up.
Vita Von Starr and Harleen Lopez defeated Little Mean Kathleen and CPA at 12:08.
5. Effy and Allie Katch vs. Avery Good and Lucky 13. Allie and Avery opened. I don’t find her particularly believable against men, and she’s giving up a lot of size here, and he got some rollups for nearfalls in the first minute. He dropped her with a shoulder tackle at 1:30. Lucky 13 got in and hit a shoulder tackle on Effy; Effy dropped to his knees and did his gay humor spots. The heels tied up Allie and kept her in their corner. Lucky 13 hit a flying elbow drop for a nearfall at 7:00. Effy got a hot tag and hit his double Blockbuster, then Helluva Kicks in opposite corners on each heel.
Efy hit a TKO Stunner, dropping one heel onto the other. Lucky 13 hit a low blow kick, allowing Avery to get a rollup for a nearfall. Avery hit a Jackhammer move on Effy for a nearfall. Allie got a hot tag at 10:00 and she hit her running buttbumps and rolling cannonballs onto each heel. Avery hit a low blow punt kick that she no-sold. Allie immediately hit a piledriver; Effy hit a Fameasser legdrop, and Allie covered Avery for the pin. Exactly what I expected here.
Effy and Allie Katch defeated Avery Good and Lucky 13 at 10:45.
* Ian Riccaboni was in the ring. Dan Champion came to the ring and he got cheers; he is receiving an honor from the Lehigh Valley mayor. The mayor named Oct. 5 as “Big Dan Day.” Obariyon and Kodama and Ultramantis Black came to the ring to cause trouble. Out of the back came Orange Cassidy, who got a massive pop. Cheeseburger was with him. The heels headed to the back with no punches thrown. Orange got on the mic, and he put sunglasses on the mayor of the city. Silly fun segment.
6. Jimmy Lloyd and Leo Sparrow vs. “Club Soda” Jeff Cannonball and Puf. I’ve seen Sparrow on a few Create-A-Pro shows; he barked at the fans and is a heel here tonight. (He faced Omos on Raw in January 2022.) Puf and Cannonball are each around 400 pounds. The heels attacked the big guys from behind; Puf and Jeff hit clotheslines. They got sandals and struck Leo with them. Lloyd choked Cannonball in the ropes. Sparrow tried to pick up Cannonball, but Jeff’s weight collapsed on him (the Hogan-Andre spot) at 4:00. The big guys began drinking beers while punching Sparrow with their free hand. They suddenly did comedy where everyone was frozen. The big guys hit chokeslams and scored the pin. Watchable; I could have done without the comedy at the end.
Puf and Jeff Cannonball defeated Jimmy Lloyd and Leo Sparrow at 8:22.
7. Mercedes Martinez vs. Erica Leigh. Leigh has shown up with the Outrunners a few times in AEW, and she has her crazed, uncombed hair here, too. An intense lockup and Erica has a height and overall size advantage. Mercedes backed her into the corner and hit some forearm strikes. Erica hit a clothesline at 3:00. Martinez hit some rolling suplexes. Erica hit a suplex so Mercedes rolled to the floor to regroup. They fought at ringside. Back in the ring, Mercedes was in charge and got a jackknife cover for a nearfall at 5:30.
Mercedes hit more suplexes and a brainbuster for a nearfall. Erica got an inside cradle for a nearfall, then a clothesline, then a back suplex and they were both down at 8:00. Leigh hit a second-rope superplex and they were both down. She hit a running knee. Mercedes hit a backbody drop and a T-Bone Suplex. Leigh hit a spear. Mercedes nailed a Spider German Suplex out of the corner at 12:00. This has been really good. Martinez hit a diving forearm to the back of the head. She tied up Leigh, put her in a Dragon Sleeper, and Leigh tapped out. Easily best match of the show.
Mercedes Martinez defeated Erica Leigh at 12:32.
8. Hallowicked, Frightmare, Ultramantis Black, Delirious, and “The Batiri” Kodama and Obariyon vs. Clara Carreras, Tracy Williams, Wheeler Yuta, Drew Gulak, Dan Champion, and Cheeseburger. I love Delirious and his antics and it’s a reason I tuned in. Champion is probably in his late 40s, wore a tie-dye shirt and blue jeans, and looks like everyone’s dad. The heels huddled on the floor before the bell. All 12 brawled at the bell with the fight quickly going to the floor. In the ring, the Batiri began working over Gulak. Williams tagged in at 1:30 and he clotheslined the Batiri.
Delirious and Cheeseburger got in and shoved each other, and Cheeseburger hit a superkick. Champion tagged in at 3:30 and fought Ultramantis Black. However, Hallowicked and Frightmare jumped in the ring and also beat up Dan. The Batiri tagged in and also beat up Champion. Champion hit a double suplex on Hallowicked and Frightmare. Cheeseburger got in at 6:30 and hit some flying back elbows on the heels. Frightmare hit a standing moonsault on Cheeseburger. Delirious choked Cheeseburger with his tassels, and the heels worked over Cheeseburger. Cheeseburger hit a German Suplex on Delirious and tagged in Wheeler Yuta for the first time at 9:30.
Wheeler hit some punches and an enzuigiri, then a head-scissors takedown, then a German Suplex. One of the Batiri hit a Shotgun Dropkick on Yuta. Delirious nailed the Shadows Over Hell backsplash on Yuta. The heels surrounded Clara at 11:00, but she hit a series of punches on them. The other babyfaces saved her from what appeared to be a Death Valley Driver. Yuta and Cheeseburger hit stereo planchas to the floor. Clara dove through the ropes. Champion hit a second-rope splash to the floor on the pile of wrestlers at 12:30. In the ring, Dan hit a splash on Hallowicked for a nearfall.
Dan and Ultramantis Black traded punches. Hallowicked hit a Sky High. Wheeler hit an Angle Slam. Tracy hit a back suplex. Delirious hit a DDT. One of the Batiri hit a fadeaway stunner. Clara hit a rolling cannonball on a Batiri. The Batiri beat her up. Champion hit a double suplex on the Batiri and got a nearfall, but Hallowicked pulled the ref from the ring at 15:30. Sidney Bakabella got on the apron. Ultramantis Black tried to throw a fireball but it fizzled. Dan got a visual pin on Black but we had no ref. A new ref ran in and counted a nearfall one of the Batiri had on Dan. Dan hit a TKO and pinned Hallowicked. Entertaining and put together well.
Clara Carreras, Tracy Williams, Wheeler Yuta, Drew Gulak, Dan Champion, and Cheeseburger defeated Hallowicked, Frightmare, Ultramantis Black, Delirious, and “The Batiri” Kodama and Obariyon at 17:02.
Final Thoughts: Nothing must-see here but an enjoyable show that steadily improved as we got more recognizable names in later matches. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Mercedes Martinez had her working boots on, but this is as good of any match I’ve seen from Erica Leigh, and that was easily the best. The main event was well booked; too often you see a beatdown go on and on and on, but those portions were kept to 2-3 minutes in length. Sure, Clara, Tracy and Drew didn’t get as much in-ring time, but that’s going to happen when you have 12 people in one match. I was amused with the CPA/LMK match so I’ll give that third.
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