By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Freelance Pro Wrestling “Prelude”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
December 21, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois at Logan Square Auditorium
The venue is a gorgeous ballroom and they always draw well here; a crowd of 200 feels packed. K-Mel and Jason Midas provided commentary.
1. Tornado Kid vs. Darin Corbin vs. RJ Sowa vs. CJ Martin vs. Regan Lydale vs. Trent Wrigley. Outside of 20-year vet Corbin, everyone else here is fairly new. Sowa has a buzz cut and his looks are similar to NXT’s Myles Borne. CJ Martin wears the heel robe of a Ric Flair or a Robert Roode, and he looks a bit like Austin Theory. Tornado Kid wore his goofy yellow mask. I’ve noted this before, but Regan is tall and slender; she has the height advantage on several of these guys. Corbin stood in the middle of the ring and berated everyone. Lydale nailed a spin kick in the corner on Wrigley. Martin dropkicked her for nearfall at 1:30. Everyone took turns bodyslamming Corbin, including the ref!
Sowa hit a flip dive to the floor on everyone at 4:30. Wrigley hit a top rope stage dive to the floor on everyone. Tornado Kid hit a top-rope somersault onto everyone. TK rolled Corbin into the ring and hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall. Wrigley hit an Unprettier for a nearfall. Martin hit a double spear at 7:30. Sowa hit a back suplex on Regan. Regan hit a pumphandle sideslam and pinned Sowa. Decent action; good energy to open the show.
Regan Lydale defeated Tornado Kid, Darin Corbin, RJ Sowa, CJ Martin and Trent Wrigley at 7:58.
2. Shazza McKenzie vs. Trent Outlaw (w/Frank the Clown) in an intergender match. Shazza told me last week that she is on pace to finish this year with 97 matches under her belt, which is just an insane schedule. She immediately rolled him up for a nearfall. He dropped her with a punch. Outlaw hit a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall at 2:30. Outlaw got a boomerang, but Shazza grabbed it and choked Outlaw with it! She tied him in the ropes and hit some Yes Kicks to the chest and she got a nearfall. Outlaw nailed a running swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall at 4:00. Shazza tied him up on the mat and cranked back on Trent’s head, but he reached the ropes. Frank struck her in the head with the boomerang! Trent immediately nailed a Pedigree and got the cheap pin. Much shorter than expected.
Trent Outlaw defeated Shazza McKenzie at 5:33.
3. Simon Gotch, Laynie Luck, and Eye Candy Elliott vs. Devon Monroe, Davey Bang, and August Matthews. Former WWE wrestler Gotch replaced GPA in this one. Elliott is the guy who just returned from a five-year hiatus and has been on the past three or so shows here; he has a great physique. Laynie got on the mic and said GPA is sick … from the lack of recognition here. Matthews and Elliott opened, with August hitting a dropkick for a nearfall. Devon and Laynie entered at 2:30 and traded offense in a knuckle lock. The heels began working over August and kept him grounded. Gotch is so much thicker than the lanky August, and he was in charge.
Devon finally got a hot tag at 10:00 and hit some clotheslines on Gotch, then on Elliott. Monroe hit a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall, but Laynie made the save. Bang hit a missile dropkick on Laynie. August hit a Cave-in stomp on Gotch. Elliott hit an enzuigiri on Devon. Elliott accidentally collided with Gotch, sending Simon to the floor. Devon immediately hit a springboard X-Factor and pinned Elliott. That extended beatdown of August was so long, Bang and Monroe were barely in this one.
Devon Monroe, Davey Bang, and August Matthews defeated Simon Gotch, Laynie Luck, and Eye Candy Elliott at 12:06.
* Storm Grayson came to the ring; he was champion for more than 700 days before losing it to Kylie Rae. He’s not dressed to wrestle. He said he needs surgery and will be gone a while. He thanked the crowd and got a pop! Isaias Velasquez and Sabin Gauge jumped in the ring and hugged Storm, but then they beat him up and repeatedly struck him with chair shots! They busted open his forehead, and they ‘Pillmanized’ his left elbow in a chair. Good way to turn a long-time heel into a babyface.
4. Alfonso Gonzalez vs. Santana Jackson. I still think using a Michael Jackson tribute act in 2024 is sickening and tone-deaf. Gonzalez is rotund and heavily booed here. This was Santana’s Freelance debut (a good thing — his tired, repetitive schtick will be new to most of these fans.) Santana got him to dance early on. They brawled into the crowd at 3:00. In the ring, Gonzalez hit a side slam at 7:30, and Santana rolled to the floor and vanished under the ring. He emerged with the wolf mask on. He danced and hit an elbow drop. Gonzalez hit a DDT for a nearfall at 10:00. Santana hit a tornado DDT, then the Moonwalk DDT, and they were both down. Gonzalez applied a Lion Tamer (vertical Boston Crab) and Santana tapped out. Meh.
Alfonso Gonzalez defeated Santana Jackson at 12:37.
5. Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Koda Hernandez. A huge pop for Chavo, and he looks really good. I consider Koda to be a rising star in the Midwest and he’s faced some major opponents in recent months. Koda’s title was NOT on the line. An intense lockup to open. Chavo stepped on his face and twisted his foot at 2:30. He worked the left arm and kept Koda grounded. He hit a headscissors takedown for a nearfall at 5:00 and got a “you still got it!” chant. Koda put him in a Boston Crab. Chavo began working the left leg and twisted it, and Koda writhed on the mat. He wrapped the knee around the ring post at 7:30. He tied Koda in a Muta Lock. Koda hit a dive through the ropes.
In the ring, Hernandez hit some rolling suplexes at 9:30, and a commentator pointed out it was Chavo who received the Three Amigos. Koda missed a frogsplash. Chavo reapplied the half-crab. He hit a plancha to the floor at 12:00. He hit a senton back into the ring. Koda got a rollup for a nearfall. Koda came off the top rope but Chavo caught him with a dropkick. Chavo now did the Three Amigos rolling suplexes on Koda at 14:30! Nice! He hit a frogsplash for the pin. That was really entertaining.
Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated Koda Hernandez at 15:18.
* Chavo got on the mic, thanked the crowd, and put over Koda as the future of wrestling. He then got the crowd to do an “Eddie!” chant.
* Kody Lane and Dan the Dad came to the ring for their tag title match. However, Calvin Tankman isn’t here tonight! Heel manager James Russo got on the mic and told Kody Lane and Dan the Dad they can reschedule and have the match in 2025. The crowd loudly booed this. A promoter came out and said Shane Mercer and James Russo are literally holding the tag team belts right now, so we can have a match right now!
6. Shane Mercer and James Russo vs. Kody Lane and Dan the Dad for the Freelance Tag Team Titles. Russo is a manager! He’s in a suit with suspenders and a tie! Kody grabbed Mercer and threw him in the ring, then hit a senton splash on him. Kody and Dan hit a team slam on Shane. Kody hit a top-rope senton for a visual pin, but Russo was distracting the ref. Dan took off his belt and was going to whip Russo. However, Shane hit Dan with a chair, and the ref called for the bell.
Kody Lane and Dan the Dad defeated Shane Mercer and James Russo via DQ at 2:07; Mercer and Calvin Tankman retain the tag team titles.
* The promoter came back out and said he’s not letting the night end that way. He ordered the match to be restarted but this time, it will be no-DQ!
6b. Shane Mercer and James Russo vs. Kody Lane and Dan the Dad for the Freelance Tag Team Titles. Dan hit some jab punches on Mercer. Mercer hit a release suplex and choked Dan in the ropes. Russo also choked Dan. Shane hit a delayed vertical suplex, finally dropping Dan at 3:00. Dan shoved the ref, too. Russo tagged in; a commentator said it might be the first tag of his career. Russo hit a bodyslam, then tagged right back out. Funny. “I am very sports entertained right now,” a commentator said. Kody finally got the hot tag at 5:00 and hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. He hit a tornado DDT on Mercer. He went to the top rope but Russo grabbed Kody’s ankle. Shane nailed Moonsault and Battery (second-rope fallaway slam) at 6:30, but he didn’t go for the cover! He tagged in Russo!
Russo circled the prone Kody Lane before finally making a cover; Kody kicked out at two. Kody hit a Jay Driller on Shane at 8:30! Kody took off HIS belt and whipped Russo on the butt. Dan hit a jab to Russo’s jaw. Both Kody and Dan piled on Russo and pinned him! New champions! Disappointing that we didn’t get the match promised, but the crowd was pleased with the title change.
Dan the Dad and Kody Lane defeated James Russo and Shane Mercer to win the Freelance Tag Team Titles at 9:29.
7. Kylie Rae vs. Gisele Shaw for the Freelance World Title. Just to be clear; this is the world title that can be held by men and women; this isn’t a women’s-only belt. WWE ID prospect Kylie wore an “ugly Christmas sweater;” she removed that before the bell. Massive pop for Kylie and the commentators talked about how she has the huge “home court advantage.” Gisele refused a handshake. They eventually tied up and Shaw applied a cravat. She hit a shoulder tackle that dropped Kylie at 5:00. Kylie dove through the ropes onto Gisele, and they fought at ringside. “Kylie may be the strongest mom in the industry,” a commentator said.
Back in the ring, Gisele kept her grounded, and she hit a suplex for a nearfall at 8:30. Kylie nailed a roaring forearm and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Kylie hit some clotheslines and was fired up, then a buzzsaw kick to the head for a nearfall at 12:30. She hit a superkick for a nearfall, then locked in a crossface. Gisele hit a backbreaker over her knee and a Flatliner for a believable nearfall at 14:00. She nailed a spear for a nearfall, and Gisele jawed at the ref and threatened to hit him. Kylie nailed a Poison Rana! However, Shaw hit a forearm to the back of the head and were both down at 17:00, and we got a “Freelance Wrestling!” chant. They traded hard forearms, and Kylie got a small package rollup for the pin! Good match.
Kylie Rae defeated Gisele Shaw to retain the Freelance Title at 18:43.
* They shook hands, but then Gisele hit a stiff clothesline and a Jackhammer! Alfonso Gonzalez ran to the ring! He hit Kylie Rae with a medal. He then turned to the ref and cashed in his medallion! We are having another match!
8. Kylie Rae vs. Alfonso Gonzalez for the Freelance Title. He covered a prone Kylie and got the pin. New champion! He celebrated as the show went off the air.
Alfonso Gonzalez defeated Kylie Rae to win the Freelance Title at 00:04.
Final Thoughts: I loved the Chavo-Koda match, as Koda continues to show why I find him such a promising player in the Midwest. The (announced) main event was really good, too, but I never once considered the possibility of Gisele winning. Those were really the only matches here I’d recommend. I’m not a big fan of the pudgy Alfonso as champion, but now everyone will have a new heel to chase.
Nothing in the first half was particularly memorable, but I did like the way they turned Grayson babyface. Regardless of my thoughts on Michael Jackson… a Santana Jackson match is like watching the Harlem Globetrotters. You laugh the first time you see them. But if you go back a second time, you have the “been there, done that” feeling. It’s the same stuff.
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