By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Live Pro Wrestling “Man of Steel”
February 2, 2025 in New Bedford, Massachusetts at Vault Music Hall
Streaming on the IndependentWrestling.TV
This show was finally released Saturday on IWTV. I like these family-friendly Live Pro shows; they usually draw a lot of kids who loudly boo the heels. This is a ballroom with chandeliers hanging, but the ceiling seems pretty high up. Lighting over the ring is good, and the crowd is 80-120.
1. Aaron Rourke vs. Gal vs. Danny Miles vs. Steven Lust in a Man of Steel first-round match. OH this is a gauntlet. ID prospects Rourke and Gal opened, and Gal wore his body-building medals to the ring. The commentators talked about how these two will have to pace themselves to try and get three straight pins. Gal hit a suplex for a nearfall at 2:00 and he jawed at the crowd. He hit a clothesline and made a cocky one-footed cover. Gal hit a German Suplex. Rourke got a crucifix driver for a pin out of nowhere at 4:28! The match continued with Lust running in and kicking Rourke and he kept Rourke grounded.
Lust hit a TKO stunner for a nearfall at 7:30. Rourke hit a spin kick to the head and a back suplex, then a fallaway slam. Rourke nailed a split-legged moonsault for a pin at 9:02. Miles came in last and immediately tried to pin the worn-down Rourke. He took off his shirt and choked Aaron with it. Miles hit a bulldog powerslam for nearfall, but he missed a cannonball. Moments later, he hit a cannonball, then a Mark Henry-style World’s Strongest Slam for the pin. A mild upset.
Danny Miles defeated Aaron Rourke, Gal and Steven Lust to advance at 14:03.
* (You would think the OTHER gauntlet would be second … but it’s not.)
2. “Waves & Curls” Jaylen Brandyn and Traevon Jordan vs. “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes for the Live Pro Tag Team Titles. SR did not have their Wrestling Open tag belts with them. The crowd loves W&C and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Jaylen and Brad opened. Traevon entered and forced Smokes to dance with him. “The Shooter Boys” Anthony Vecchio and Aaron Ortiz attacked and caused a DQ/draw at 2:06. They attacked both teams. I thought we were going to have a three-way dance but I guess not.
“Waves & Curls” Jaylen Brandyn and Traevon Jordan vs. “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes went to a draw at 2:06.
3. DJ Powers vs. Ashley Vox in an intergender match. I’ve noted that teen Powers is really rocking a young Johnny Morrison vibe, and I’m a big fan. Needless to say, he has a significant height and weight advantage. They each have a crown for winning a prior battle royal. The bell rang, but Powers got on the mic and offered to let her bow out. The crowd chanted “Ashley’s gonna kill you!” She hit a huracanrana out of the corner, and she dove through the ropes on him (she hit the ropes going through and he did a great job of catching her.) She hit a tornado DDT on the floor, launching her feet off a big guy in the crowd at 2:30. In the ring, he nailed a Buckle Bomb and a standing neckbreaker, and he kipped up.
He slammed her and made a cocky cover. She hit a tornado DDT and they were both down at 5:30. She hit a discus clothesline for a nearfall. He hit a German Suplex for a nearfall at 7:30. Vox nailed a springboard Canadian Destroyer, but DJ rolled to the floor to avoid being pinned. She got on the apron and hit a running somersault to the floor on him. In the ring, he hit a neckbreaker over his knee. She got a rollup for a nearfall, and she locked in a modified Camel Clutch and fish-hooked his mouth, and he tapped out! The crowd enjoyed this.
Ashley Vox defeated DJ Powers at 9:23.
* DJ got on the mic and said this is “king of the sea rules,” and you can only win it by pin, not submission. This match must be restarted! He rolled her up, put his feet on the ropes for added leverage, and got a pin.
DJ Powers defeated Ashley Vox at 00:13.
* A “Man of Steel Achievement Award” was presented to Johnny Angel.
4. Nico Silva vs. Mortar vs. Richard Holliday vs. Erik Chacha in a Man of Steel first-round match. Silva is bald and thick; I think I’ve seen him once before but he’s the only real unknown to me. Silva and Mortar opened. I always compare Mortar to Rhino, but he paints half his face. They locked up, and Nico stomped on the left elbow. They traded shoulder tackles, and this one started out at a slower pace. Mortar hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 7:30. Nico hit a high back suplex. Mortar hit a spear and a Lionsault for a pin at 9:52.
Holliday was next and he attacked both and threw Silva to the floor, then stomped on Mortar and kept him grounded. Mortar applied a Boston Crab at 14:00 and the crowd taunted Holliday to tap out. Mortar hit an enzuigiri and a spin kick to the jaw. He went for a Lionsault but Holliday got his knees up. Holliday hit the 2008 spinning suplex for a pin at 15:45. That brought out Erik Chacha, the El Salvador native who must be close to 5’2″. Holliday hit a stiff kick to the sternum. Chacha hit a spear for a nearfall. He got a sunset flip rollup and scored the pin! I again didn’t expect Chacha to win when this began. (I had a feeling he would win when it was down to these two, because Danny Miles is a heel, and it makes no sense to have Miles-Holliday in the finals.)
Erik Chacha defeated Richard Holliday, Mortar and Nico Silva to reach the finals at 19:27.
5. Gabby Forza vs. Liviyah. This is a first-time-ever meeting, which isn’t surprising as they are both in their sophomore years of wrestling. Liviyah is taller, but Gabby is the powerhouse. Gabby showed off a weightlifting medal she won a day earlier. Again, Liviyah is still a teen; on Thursday, I heard a commentator say she started training when she was 12. Liviyah hit a shoulder tackle but Gabby didn’t budge; Gabby knocked Liviyah down with her own shoulder tackle, and she hit a Samoan Drop for a nearfall at 1:30. Liviyah hit a shoulder tackle and applied a rear-naked choke.
Gabby hit a Bulldog Powerslam, then a Vader Bomb at 5:00, but Liviyah rolled to the floor to avoid being pinned. In the ring, Liviyah hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall. Gabby hit a superplex for a nearfall. Liviyah hit a Lungblower to the back for a nearfall at 7:00. Gabby cut her in half with a spear for the pin. I enjoyed that, and they got a post-match “That was awesome!” chant.
Gabby Forza defeated Liviyah at 7:34.
6. Erik Chacha vs. Danny Miles in the Man of Steel finals. Yeah, these are not the two I expected to be in the finals. (I was expecting Rourke vs. Holliday). The trophy is about 3 feet tall. The commentators noted how Miles had a long time to recover but Chacha did not. (Which is why his match should have been second!) Basic action early, and Chacha hit a running penalty kick on the apron at 1:30, and they brawled at ringside and up onto the stage next to the ring. Miles shoved Chacha into the ring post. In the ring, Miles stomped on Chacha and kept him grounded. Chacha fired up and hit a series of kicks at 8:00, and he clotheslined Miles into the front row, then hit a plancha onto him.
In the ring, Chacha hit more kicks, including a spin kick to the back of the head for a nearfall at 10:00. He got a sunset flip (how he won the first match) for a nearfall. Miles hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Chacha got an inside cradle for the pin. Solid match.
Erik Chacha defeated Danny Miles to win the Man of Steel tournament at 11:04.
7. Love, Doug vs. Little Mean Kathleen vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin vs. Anthony Greene in an elimination match for the Live Pro Title. Doug and LMK have quite a history; two years ago, she left him at the altar in Wrestling Open! BRG rolled to the floor at the bell and stalled. He got back in, and everyone took turns beating on Brett. The heel commentator fumed that this was 3-on-1. LMK hit a Vader Bomb for a nearfall. LMK and Doug traded some offense. Brett hit a DDT out of the ropes on Doug at 4:00. He missed a dropkick aimed at LMK and crashed in the ropes. Doug and Greene tossed LMK onto BRG. They did comedy with LMK and Doug seated on shoulders and they did a ‘chicken fight’ at 6:00.
Greene nailed a superkick on Kathleen, and BRG stole a nearfall. Greene hit a fadeaway stunner. Doug hit a rebound lariat. Kathleen hit a chokeslam on Doug for a nearfall at 7:30, but she missed a Vader Bomb. Greene hit a piledriver on Kathleen; BRG again stole a pin attempt on her for a nearfall. They did a tower spot with Kathleen crashing down hard from the top. However, LMK rolled up Anthony Greene and pinned him at 9:36! The match continued without a break. BRG rolled up Doug and put his feet on the ropes for added leverage to pin him at 10:52, and the crowd immediately chanted “LMK!” BRG speared her for a nearfall.
Brett jawed at the crowd. She got a sunset flip for a nearfall. He hit a back suplex and again put his feet on the ropes, but Doug pushed his feet clear of the ropes. Doug hit Brett with flower petals to the face! LMK immediately hit a bulldog for the pin. Your new champion, Little Mean Kathleen!
Little Mean Kathleen defeated Brett Ryan Gosselin, Anthony Greene and Love, Doug to become Live Pro Champion at 13:15.
* BRG hit a post-match superkick on her. DJ Powers ran in and cashed in a Money in the Bank title shot! (Whatever they called it, that’s how it works.)
8. Little Mean Kathleen vs. DJ Powers for the Live Pro Title. She got an inside cradle for a nearfall. He clocked her with a superkick and pinned her to become champion.
DJ Powers defeated Little Mean Kathleen to win the Live Pro Title at 00:32.
Final Thoughts: A deeply disappointing show. How often do I write that? If you are going to book Waves & Curls vs. Swipe Right (with the intent of having it end in a no contest), let them go 10-15 minutes before the run-in. That was the match that looked great on paper… and the run-in happened JUST TWO MINUTES IN, and I assumed it was going to be restarted as a three-way, if not right then, maybe later in the show. That is a cruel tease.
I would have preferred two regular four-ways instead of gauntlet matches too. Gal, Holliday, and/or Rourke should have been in the finals. I can’t hide that while Miles-Chacha had a decent outing, it wasn’t the match I wanted to see. The four-way main event was merely okay; I’m not a big fan of comedy in the main event. And with the news today about Bear Boulder… it’s really going to make it hard to justify these male-on-female beatdowns that are so popular right now.
So, I’ll go with Forza-Liviyah for best match; it is the only thing here that has reached or topped my expectations. This show is available at IWTV, but does not get my endorsement.
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